


When Lightning Strikes Ice

by bledstars



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Child Soldiers, Corruption, F/M, Female ninjas are bamf, Spiritualism, Tragedy, Trauma, dark themes, idc if she seems op. She’s my girl, let's dive into root and all the mess that is the ninja world, the slowest of burns, the third hokage is the worst, which is ironic., world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:20:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 31,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24862954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bledstars/pseuds/bledstars
Summary: What will a genius prodigy do when they meet a nameless ghost of a girl? Does he run away from her, just as his survival instincts told him to? Does he attack her, despite the familiar look in her eyes that mirrored his own?  Or does he hold out his hand, and wonder what will happen when she takes it?
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Original Female Character(s), Namikaze Minato/Uzumaki Kushina
Comments: 20
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 1

How does one begin a story that they barely know themselves? Do they recite the lines they were told were the truth? Do they pull from memories with faded faces and hope that it wasn’t just their imagination? Where do they even begin? 

Her hand were strangely soft for a ninja. Perhaps that was why it was so easy for her to blend in as a civilian when she was not in uniform.Who could imagine these soft small pale hands were covered in blood just moments ago, taking another’s life. Opening up her fingers she let her palm catch the first snowflakes of the winter in the Land of Fire, watching how they fell and landed on her palm before some rose up again and danced between her fingertips. An easy party trick, an easy manipulation as she quietly watched the snow playfully greet her. 

She knew that snow had always been a constant in her life. Her earliest memory, if it even was one, was when she was taking her first steps on a white field.

There was a man without a face far in the snow, arms wide, calling out her name, telling her to keep strong. There was a woman behind her, holding her steady as she took the first steps across the deep snow, holding her and guiding her. She assumed they were her parents, she wanted them to be her parents. For who else would hold her without any killing intent, who else would be guiding her small body through the cold snow. For the woman’s warm hands, the man’s warm voice, all of it it contrasted to the cold under her bare feet and she wanted to hold onto that. 

It was a right of passage, to take one’s first steps in the cold. To become accustomed to the snow that constantly surrounded them, that protected their clan. The soft snow and the hard ice underneath that became their shield and sword when battles came. It was like creating a bond with the natural surroundings. A natural affinity that would both a gift and a curse to the small clan. She would never understand cold as an enemy because it had always been a part of her, from the beginning, holding her small feet to take another step forward. 

Then came the ritual of crossing a more complex white field once she was able to speak, and this time it would be without the guiding hand and voice of her parents. A blindfold would be placed over her eyes so that she would put trust in the cold, to not be afraid of sudden obstacles before her. A ritual where she would put her trust in the snow, to believe it would never hurt her. And if she succeeded, she would be placed into the spring that was always cold but never frozen. The spring where their ancestors first learned to combine the wind and the water. Where they were blessed by the spirits of their ancestors, granting them knowledge and opening up the pathways to be able to use their kekkei genkai.

As she completed her journey, her small feet sinking into the snow, she couldn’t have been older than three years, but the snow was good to her, it did not bother her, it was a kind guardian that covered the sharp rocks that would have cut her feet. And as she reached the end. Gentle hands undid the blindfold, a proud smile gracing the lips of whom she believed to be her mother before she was placed into the spring that was always cold but never frozen. 

And the spring was unlike the snowy fields that were so gentle and kind. No, the cold waters were a stark contrast as it pierced into her skin and she gasped for breath and only felt more of the freezing water fill her lungs. Half of her felt like it was being ripped open, into a million tiny pieces. The other felt like it was being frozen over and over again. There was a duality to the cold. The cold could save, the cold could be kind, the cold could be gentle and soft. But it can also be sharp, unforgiving, cruel, a weapon that could easily form inside the palm of their hands. The ice that pierced at her lungs, that felt too much to bear would be her shield and sword. She should be frightened, she should be flailing, and begging to be taken out of the water. That it was too much for such a small child. 

But she did not. She did not because despite the pain, despite the anxious feeling of feeling like she was drowning, despite it all, she knew that the cold would not harm her. The cold may be cruel, it may be sharp, it may be unforgiving, but the cold was a part of her. She was still as she let the cold take her. For the cold would never hurt one of their own. The muffled sounds from above her as she opened her eyes slowly to star up at to the white skies from under the water. There soft chants calling out to her, prayers, and rituals must be done well so that she could come out of the water, a new life springing into her veins The ritual was to help guide the chakra, so that the cold, the ice, the snow, would never become something they couldn’t control. It was a part of them and they were a part of it. 

And as she emerged from the water, she saw the proud looks on her parents faces as they pulled her out and put a fur coat around her shoulders. She did not know how long she was under the water but she knew she was the last of the children to get out. She was also the only one that didn’t shiver as she emerged, rather she stood still under the heavy cloak. 

She was the only one in her generation to complete the ritual to the fullest. Which would mean that she would train to become the next clan leader, that she had been chosen by the cold to lead them. That she had accepted the wind, the water, the ice, the cold and let them take refuge in her veins. While others would be able to cross the snow, they could not enter the water. Some were able to enter the spring,but they quickly left the water for it was too much to bear. The unlucky ones did not emerge from the waters, for the cold took them early. They were also the last generation of children to go through this ritual. For after that came the war, and after the war, their abilities, their rituals, all became demonized. It became something to fear, something to be hated. Something to be wiped away because they did not understand the cold. And whatever the did not understand, they hated, they feared, the wanted to get rid of.

Outsiders had looked at them like they were ghosts, evil spirits of the wind. _Yuki-Onna_ , they whispered under their breaths. And that became their story. They were no longer the strange but kind healers on the top of the mountain that one could go to when something terrible had happened. Instead they chose to forget the cold had healing properties. That what looked like a frozen wasteland was actually brimming with life, hoping to give back. They were not the spiritual guides of ice and snow anymore. They were the vengeful spirit that led to a long winter and their demise.

The Yuki clan were tainted, they were weapons.They were a danger to the villages surrounding them. Their strange beauty, their dark black hair that contrasted to their pale skin, it no longer was something to be marveled in wonder. Instead it brought a chill down one’s spine, it was someone you looked away from, ran away from, killed so that that you can become the hero that killed the evil Yuki-Onna. Their mystery, their strange nature, their ability to not be bothered by the cold. They could not be human, not with the way they fought, with mirrors and reflections and needles so thin. Not with their ability to manipulate the water and wind and merge them together to do something no one else outside of their clan could do.

And though the Yuki clan understood the cold, they never understood the cold that surrounded the neighbors they used to call friends, comrades, as they stared at them and closed their homes from them. They, too had lost so many of their clan, some of the most gifted in their practice had shed blood to protect the clan, to protect the village, to protect the land from invaders from the south, the north, the east, and the west.

This desire to be normal, to be accepted by their village, it poisoned the clan from within. No longer would the new generation of children take their first steps in the snow, but rather on the warm wood of their homes. The water that they all once sank into, was abandoned by parents who did not wish for their children not show signs of their clan’s abilities. They did not wish to be extraordinary, rather they would rather be invisible.

So, they chose to scatter. They chose to bury their ancestors’ spring, to protect them from outside invaders who would destroy their ancestors home. They destroyed their homes, they had gathered what they could onto what they could carry. They said goodbye to the white field that so many took their first steps on. Their clan leader chose to freeze their home, giving up her life to protect their bloodline, to have their final act to become the guardian of this mountain. **A true Yuki-Onna.** Haunting the forests that surrounded them, creating ice boundaries that no one would dare pass. Hiding the footprints that once led to a place they once called home. This place would be frozen in time, frozen from the rest of the world, a place of eternal winter on top of the mountain. 

She could not have been older than five when all of this was happening. When the clan leader sat her down and took off her necklace. It was an old thing that had been passed down for so many generations, a small black stone with crack that showed the blue and green underneath that came from the bottom of the ancestral springs. A stone as cold as ice whose cracks were not an indication of weakness but ratherthat had a piece of chakra from every clan leader, a drop of their spirit that would be a guide to the next leader. 

The old woman was one of their oldest leaders, older than some of the villages surrounding them, rumors say that she was was at least over two hundred years old. A leader that was so in tune with the natural spirits in the mountains, that the did not take her until they found a suitable heir to their legacy, and they found it in the girl that was unafraid of the cold. 

“Your name will no longer be yours.” The woman said gently stroking the girl’s dark hair. “The name your parents gave you, that beautiful name is no longer the name you can use. Your name will now be Yuki. For you must hold the clan, protect the clan, be the clan. The spirits have chosen you, they will not forsake you even in your darkest hours. I may be here guarding this place but I shall be with you like all of our ancestors. For while we may not be here with the waters and the snow, it shall be inside you. The waters you drank, how it sank into your bones, into your veins, into every part of you as you let the ice take form in your body. You must have known what that meant. You let the spirits take you. You became their Yuki.” Her voice was softer as she gently tied the necklace around the girl’s neck, sealing it with a bit of chakra.unbreakable from anyone but the wearer. “We will teach you our ways through the wind and through the water. The spirits shall follow you, guarding you like a shield as you wield us like a sword. We are healers first, fighters second. But most importantly guardians. Will you remember that, Yuki? ”

With a solemn and quiet nod, as the leadership ceremony came to an end. The little child became the leader of an entire clan that was breaking apart. The little child with hair as black as night, and skin as pale as snow, took her role as guardian, as Yuki. They prayed one last time as a clan before they said their final goodbyes to one another. Most families would have to be separated in order to protect one another.But she and her family were the last to leave, she insisted on watching the leader as she vanished into the wind, the water, the snow, the ice, the cold. She could hear the echos of the old woman’s voice in the wind, protecting their home, telling Yuki that she was never alone in the cold. 

She recalled saying goodbye to her cousins, all bundled up in thick layers as they have not become accustomed to the cold. The youngest, an infant in her aunt’s arms. She prayed that they never showed signs of their clan. Not out of cruelty but of kindness. That would be what their parents would have wanted. So, that they could live as normally as they could, to live a peaceful life, a life that was not lonely and burdened by the weight that was now on her shoulders. But she was also selfish, she prayed that they would find peace with the snow and ice. That they’d find it magical, and incredible. That they’d find the cold comforting. That they would see that the cold was not unkind but rather lonely. Longing for the embrace of their keepers that had to abandon them for the sake of their own lives. 

Kissing the top of the infant’s head, she prayed that after all the hatred and anger subsided. That after all the pain and misunderstanding was over, they could come back home in a time of peace and she could be guiding them though the snow, showing them the wonders that the cold had showed her. 

They became a wandering tribe, her family, and a few others that were known to be the immediate guards of the clan leader. The most loyal and the ones that truly believed in the cold as much as she did. Her family had been one of the few that were still believers in their clan, that prayed for them to be reunited once again, that took pride in their traditions. They had gifted her with a stoat on her sixth birthday.A traditional gift for a shinobi within their clan. A small creature that spoke to her in the softest voice, warning her before she went on ahead.

The spirits had gifted her with a companion that symbolized her clan, a white arctic fox that stared up at her with black eyes, promising to protect her, to not let anyone harm her. Bowing low as it promised to serve her until their very last breath. That while they may be one small fox, they were simply the messenger of the many that longed to serve their keeper. The small white fox had told her as she grew older, stronger, more in sync with the spirits she could call forth the others. Some were large enough to carry her when she was tired, others as black as night, blending into the shadows to guard her as she rested, but for now she was still too small. Then on her seventh birthday a white owl that greeted her with a wonderful hoot, promising her that their bond would never die. That they would show her wisdom, that they would be as fast as the wind and never let a single thing miss.

She wondered if they were her ancestors, taking on the forms of familiars and companions. To help guide her through the path she had been placed on.

She remembered her seventh birthday quite well. It was when the woman with the warm hands grabbed her and held her behind her back They had gone to a half frozen waterfall and had just finished a small ritual to honor the ancestors that they could no longer greet at the spring. And just as she was about to dip her hands in, she heard the man with the warm voice yelled at the intruders with the strange animal masks to leave them, to not come closer.The other members of their clan, the others that believed that one day they could go back to where they once came from, got to their feet, ready to fight once more. They would protect their clan leader, as small as she may be, because the cold had chosen her, and she would be the one the lead them to peace one day. 

It had happened so quickly, the way her father flew to protect her and her mother. How quickly he flew around, shielding them, protecting them. She could hear the others fighting, yelling, ice rising from the ground, members of their small traveling group vanishing into the mirrors. There was so much noise that it hurt her ears, until there was a cold silence that made them freeze. 

She remember how strange the snow looked when it was smeared with red. She hated the color, it was bright and ugly. How off-putting it looked as it seeped into the snow. She had seen it before.War was not kind and she was the protector of her clan, but this blood looked even more awful when it came from her father. There he was staring at her with empty eyes. The ice that formed in his hand melting away at the lack of chakra. “Run.” He said in his final breath. 

She recalled her mother who had the warmest hands, summoning her beasts, a fox, a wolf, and even a deer. She remembered how her father would tell her stories about how when she grew older she too would be able to bond and create an alliance with bigger beasts like the older clan members did: whether they be bears or leopards. That all of these beasts, all of them lived to serve the guardians of the snowy mountain. 

She recalled her mother screaming at her to run. Begging her as she saw her child being swept up by a man. Taken away and the masked man placed Yuki in front of a man with bandages all over his face. A man with the most sinister look on his face as he looked at his next weapon. 

She was the leader of her clan. She was the chosen guardian of the cold. Her mother being dragged by her long black hair before another mask yanked her head back and slit her throat. Blood splattering everywhere, red dripping onto the white snow as she saw the life drain out of her mother’s eyes, Yuki felt helpless and weak. The summoned beasts fading away, looking between their master and the leader of their clan with a solemn expression. For the first time in her life, Yuki was alone. She felt scared. This bandaged man did not care for the spirits. He only cared for blood. He dd not deserve a god, he believed himself to be one. He was a man who would dirty his hand if it meant that he could get more power. It didn’t matter who he had to step on, he would get what he wanted. And it was frightening to see a real monster in front of her. He reminded her that she was still little. That she was still weak. That she was still a child. 

Little Yuki wanted to run, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t move a muscle. That man with coverings on his face and arm surrounded by masked men frightened her.She saw his eyes, there were so many, covering his body that it made bile rise to her throat in disgust. All shining red, swirling, staring at her, wanting to consume her. She wanted to run. She knew she had to run. But she still could not move. He won’t let her move. 

It was demonic. It was ugly. It was red. 

“Why was Danzo-Sama even here? Did you think that he went too far? Putting a child into a genjitsu like that. I understand that they come from a strange clan, but this child didn’t even scream, she didn’t even yell. It’s like there’s nothing in her.” She heard the man whisper to his colleague. “They said their mind looked like a wasteland, just frozen and white. Blank. Maybe she’s dead inside. Maybe all of this was for nothing. A suicide mission. I’ll never understand why we were sent on this mission, they didn’t look like a harmful clan. Hell, all they were doing was praying.” 

“Do we even know if they are a girl or a boy?”

“I wonder if we are just carrying around a corpse at this point.” 

They talked as if she couldn’t hear, she just stared at all the red in front of her.She stared under the overwhelming silence. There was just so much red everywhere. The masked beings walking around in the red like it was nothing. The man with the ugly arm poking and looking through the corpses of her clan as if inspecting for anymore survivors. 

“The only survivor, right?” Another whispered from behind, approaching her. The aura that surrounded him, it was choking her. It wasn’t just the idea of him coming near and ending her life. It was more sinister than that. The way he looked like someone who enjoyed the pain of others. **Monster. Monster. Monster.** ****

Shattering like ice, the spirits destroyed the red nightmare she was consumed in. And before the man could take another step to finish the job, her small hand whipped across his throat and red splattered across her pale face. He fell like a tree clawing at his neck, drowning on his own blood.The others quickly getting their weapons out until a bandaged arm stretched out to stop them. He stared at her, sitting there quietly,her eyes staring blankly at the dying man, unemotional as she held a blade made of ice dripping with red.

Her pale hand dripped in red as she watched the man drown, the blood seeping into the snow under them. They must never forget that the cold could be cruel and unforgiving. That it will attack, that it will strike when their host is in pain, when they are in trouble, when they are all alone. For the cold never left. It will always be around to guard their keeper. Head moving to the side slowly, she saw him for the first time with fear in his eyes. He did not fear death, he feared her. Her dark locks fallen in front of her face before she lifted her hand and let the snow below him consume him, compress his body, she could hear his screams but the cold demanded tribute for the lives lost. They demanded retribution. 

She could hear the spirits screaming in her head to take more and more. To make him suffer, hand clenching, she heard one final plea before all that was left. There was nothing left where he once was, only red. Nothing would remain of him, his spirit would never find peace. The spirits demanded it. The spirits were vengeful and even this wasn’t enough. Her body did not feel like her own as she turned to the rest of the masked soldiers, she stared at the dead bodies of her parents, of her clan. A tear that looked like a crystal appearing in her eyes before she lifted her hand once more and let the snow cover them. They deserved a burial. They deserved to be in peace. They deserved to a second chance.A snowstorm behind her, the masked figures winced and covered they eyes from the blinding white. 

“You called us.” A white leopard said with their eyes as night as it walked towards their master, a black leopard coming into view before licking the blood off her fingers. 

“Take them home.” She said with a grief as she stared at the way the snow shifted into ice, freezing them as if they were just sleeping. “They deserve to rest.” She whispered softly. 

“You do know that will weaken you. We cannot care for you against them if..." Shaking her head, she just looked at the fallen. Her eyes cold as she looked at the dead. She had failed them. A leader of a clan must bare the weight of each death. She must take care of them before all else. "We understand." And with that, the bodies that were once there vanished as did the snow storm. 

“Take the child.” The man with the ugly eyes all around his body stated to the masked man who quietly nodded and she felt someone hit the back of her neck and all she saw was darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been working on this original character for years now, and i just thought it'd be nice to show her out to the world. I wanted to really bring together folklore, shintoism, and Japanese mythology into the naruto realm and sort of explore the world. I also really wanted to explore the culture of Root/Anbu and just the darker parts of the shinobi world. 
> 
> So, if you don't already realize, the main female character is named Yuki and would be a relative of Haku. That will come into play later as I write that out more and develop this idea as I get more inspired by it. 
> 
> I hope you do enjoy it! And just leave me feedback on if you like what you are reading and just?? if you have any questions, feel free to ask!


	2. Chapter 2

Everyone assumed to know his story. They didn’t care which parts were true and what were just baseless rumors and assumptions. They saw his title first, Hatake Kakashi, the prodigy, the genius of his generation. He never understood why people thought it was a compliment to be called a genius. Being called a genius was more of a curse than a blessing. The world becomes more dull, more boring, more colorless as the years go by. The world became more ugly as more responsibilities were placed on his shoulders. He didn’t mind in the beginning, as long as Kakashi had his father, there was at least one person in the world that could understand him. It would make sure that the world wasn’t so boring, it wasn’t so ugly, it wasn’t so cruel. 

His father was just as notorious as he was, the White Fang that failed. They crafted the story of the failed ninja that chose his teammates over his mission. And how that became the shame of his family’s name. His father’s countless accomplishments and successful missions all forgotten and the only thing they would remember was his failure and his death. 

They don’t remember that they were the ones that ostracized him first for valuing a life over a mission. They don’t remember that the very teammates he saved were the first to turn their backs on him, making snide comments. Crafting tall tales of how his father only wanted glory and how they would still be alive if he still continued on with the mission. That they didn’t need his help and it was just his own pride that stood in the way of a successful mission. Rumors and whispers surrounded his father before he took his own life. How he must have been a spy for an enemy village. It left a bitter taste in his mouth of how his father’s legacy as the White Fang would only be a footnote to the tragic ending. 

It didn’t take a genius to figure it all out. That this world did not care about the story, they just cared about the ending. It didn't matter if his father had 99 successful missions, his one failure was the only thing the people remembered. 

_Never again._ He would bring back the pride to the Hatake name. He would bring back honor to the legacy that his father had left him. That’s what he swore as he tucked his face under his mask and stared at the rock where his father was buried under. The rules must be followed, duty must come first, and the mission must always be a success. He said the mantra over and over again in this head as he trained in the academy, when he was given missions, the mission comest first. He swore over and over again. When he was alone doing solo missions or when he was with Team Minato. All that mattered to him was the end result.

He was off duty for another week due to his injuries. It wasn’t that bad, but then again, he was one to disregard his own health time and time again for the sake of the mission. Tossing the book he was reading to the side, he stared up at the ceiling. He was thinking of a new jutsu, one that would allow him to bring together his lightning chakra into the palm of his hand to create a devastating attack similar to Minato sensei’s rasengan. 

Leaning back in the chair, he tapped the pencil against his notebook. It had drawings of the concept he had in mind. He knew that with his affinity, anything similar to the rasengan would be more chaotic, harder to control, it might even cause damage to his hands, but he had to try. He had the theory, he just had to practice. Maybe he can sneak out to a training ground and practice. He looked down at his injured arm, several stitches and two hours with a medic nin, a medic nin that was tired of seeing him in and out of the hospital. If he pulled his stitches again, he was sure they would chain him down onto the hospital bed. Sighing, he dropped the arm over his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh.

“Oy Kakashi!” He winced at the loud voice that belonged to Gai. The pounding at his door that could only belong to the taijutsu specialist. He was sure Gai was holding back otherwise, his door would be on the floor and the cold wind would rush in. 

Getting up from his desk, he closed the notebook and set it aside before opening the door. His expression fell as soon as he saw that it wasn’t just Gai but all of his friends and his teammates. Was this some sort of intervention? 

Rin smiled at him while peaking out from behind Asuma with a smile, while Obito stood in the back with a scowl before turning around like a child. “We are going to the shrine, you should come with us.” Rin’s voice was bright and cheerful, it sounded like wind chimes. 

“Why?” He asked even though he was already reaching for his scarf and jacket. If everyone was here, that means there was little to no chance of him escaping their grasp. There goes his plans for the day. Wrapping the scarf around his neck, he stared at them with bored eyes before shoving his hands into his pockets. “What’s at the shrine?” 

“It’s a New Year after all, and none of us did anything because of missions. We should pay our respects and do all those things normal civilians do. Ask for some spiritual guidance, maybe get a charm or two.” Genma said with a small smile before he nodded towards the gate of the village. “And it’s an excuse for all of us to spend the day together.” 

“And how rare is it for all of us to spend our youthful days together!” Gai said with a boisterous laugh before putting his arm around the silver haired shinobi. 

“Fine…whatever…I have nothing better to do.” 

As they walked to the temple, stories of their missions filling the air, Kakashi almost felt normal. Surrounded by his peers, his friends, his teammates. He wouldn’t admit it but he was grateful for them, their kindness, their honest hearts that stubbornly reached out to him. He wasn’t sure but maybe this was what his father felt and why he chose to protect his teammates even when they didn’t deserve it. Shaking his head, he tossed the idea to the back of his head. **Mission comes first.** He repeated in his head over and over again as they approached the shrine. 

“I may not believe in it. But I do think it’s quite nice.” Gai said quietly to his friend as he watched the other rush into the gates. “I think I’m most jealous of civilians for that reason. They have time to appreciate and enjoy the spirits.” 

“Hn.” Kakashi said as he quietly watched his friends wash their hands before entering. He slight flinch at the cold water that coated his hands as he cleansed himself, lifting the ladle to clean it before placing it back onto it’s spot. Hidden in the some of the surrounding mountains of the village, the shrine was quiet since it was a few days after the New Year festivals. Closing his eyes, he listened to the soft crunch of the snow under his feet.“What are they all staring at?” 

“Oh? It must be the shrine maidens.” Gai said with a laugh as he watched some of the boys eyes widen at the site of the girls in the white robes and red hakama pants. “Ahh…it seems as though love is in the air. To be youthful.” 

Few of the shrine maidens were actually civilians without any chakra. Most simply did not go the route of a shinobi. Some would go off to become a medic ninja that specialized and worked at the hospital. Others that worked to serve for the lords outside of the hidden villages and other wealthy nobles. He knew that some worked and travelled throughout the countries as neutral healers. Any ninja with hitae can go to any shrine to get basic medical care without fear of being shunned. Healers that served to heal. 

“Stop talking like that. You sound like an old man.” Kakashi said as he hid his masked face under his scarf and watched the crowd quietly. He saw Obito shyly pull out some coins to pay for a charm, the bright and cheerful smile from the blonde shrine maiden as she handed it to him. 

Looking to the side, he saw something else that interested him. A young white fox, whose black eyes were staring at his friends, almost watching them, observing them with a curious look. His eyes narrowed a bit, arctic foxes were not native to the land of fire. Rare even in it’s native habitat in snowy mountains. Their furs were often high priced luxury items, so often if he saw them they were smuggled. But this fox’s coat was clean and shiny, as if it was well cared for, loved. White like the snow surrounding them, almost blending into it’s surroundings. So it couldn’t have been a smuggled animal that escaped. The fox was hidden among the bushes and maybe he wouldn’t have noticed if his eyes did not wander. Could it be a summon? He could not recollect anyone in his village having a arctic fox as a contract animal. 

It didn’t look it wasn’t going to attack his friends, it almost looked…sad as it watched and stared. It almost looked like it would approach them if there was an opening. He quietly watched the strange animal until it seemed to have noticed his gaze. Turning it’s little head and locking eyes with the silver haired ninja, Kakashi felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. _It’s a clever little thing._ He thought quietly. To have been caught by the animal when it was so focused on the loud group ahead of him. He wondered who their master was. A contact animal was only as skillful as their signer. 

It angled it’s head to the side, the fox’s black eyes staring at him. It was unnerving at how it watched him quietly, before it quickly turned around and began running away. He blinked a few times, trying to grasp what happened before he realized his feet had already started picking up to chase after the white fox. 

“I’ll be back!” He said quickly, flustered at how he was caught off guard. How could he have been so distracted by the fox to not realize that it could have been a spy’s summons. He tried to rack his brain of any notes that he had on what villages had affinity for arctic foxes. Would it be someone from the Land of Snow? No…They were more kin to larger animals. Maybe someone from the Land of Water. There were rumors of a small clan that had an affinity for smaller contract animals but the clan was more rumors than reality. They were probably an old extinct clan that seemed more like ghost story. Even more so, Kakashi could not remember any reports of any ninja having an arctic fox as their summons. This fox was a problem, a mystery, something interesting to his boring day. 

He hissed at how fast the small thing was, following it through the forests that surrounded the shrine. How it whipped through the bush confirmed it was no ordinary animal. He recalled the how the fox stared at him, it’s eyes wise as if it had lived lifetimes despite it’s youthful appearance. “Shit!” He moved the branches that covered his sight and when he got to the other side, he turned around as he could not see the fox anywhere. “Where did it go?” He whispered under his breath, a bit frustrated at how he was too slow to catch up to the fox. Running a hand through his silver hair, hands clenched at how stupid he felt. If anyone knew that he was outsmarted by a fox, he would never hear the end of it. Looking to the ground, he saw that it’s paw prints go deeper into the forest. 

Was this a trap? There was no way a skillful animal like that would allow a path or maybe he was overthinking things. Maybe it was really just a wild animal that came to the shrine. Stranger things have happened before. He wondered if he should keep following this path, if he should keep searching for the little white fox. He wondered why he was even doing this in the first place. He had better things to do than follow a mysterious animal that lurked around a shrine. But his body moved despite what his mind said. The fox was just such an abnormality, and he was always too clever, too smart, too curious for his own good. 

Quietly following the trail, he moved through the branches of the deep forest, watching how it moved from one way before backing away and taking another path. As if it knew that he would follow and tried to trick him. A small smirk formed on his lips, it would take more than that to outsmart him. 

Kakashi followed the paw prints and was soon greeted by a small clearing. He didn’t recognize his surroundings at first.In the middle of the clearing was the a small waterfall. The waterfall was mostly frozen, but there was a trickle of water flowing through the rocks and falling into the pond. The pond itself was partially frozen over, with holes of the clear water showing. He had never been this deep in the forest during the wintertime, there was no need to come up here. It looked quiet, almost untouched by anyone. The snow he walked on him even looked pristine and clean. Not muddy like the snow that was well traveled. Even the air felt fresher, cleaner, crisp as he tried to catch his breath. Everything about this place seemed to be frozen in time and isolated by the rest of the world. It almost felt unnatural at how natural everything looked. 

But that wasn’t the strangest thing in the clearing. No, the strangest thing would be the small fox approaching a sleeping girl whose back leaned against a tree that sat at the edge of the pond. The girl was wearing the attire of the shrine maiden, the red was a stark contrast to white snow under her and the approaching arctic fox. Was that the contract’s master? Turning on a switch, he hid behind a tree as he tried to organize his thoughts. He couldn’t just be openly staring at her in the middle of nowhere without any idea who she was. 

He did not recognize her. Judging by her features, she was younger than he was by a few years.Yet if someone so young could begin summoning, wouldn’t she be in the academy? Wouldn’t there have been a file on her? And yet he knew nothing about her, he had never seen her in the village either. Her black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, probably tied with the same ribbon he saw the other maidens wear. Another strange thing about her was the fact that her cheeks were not red from the cold, nor did it look like she was bothered by the freezing temperature. She looked peaceful in this isolated space in the forest. 

Peaking out from his hiding spot, he watched the unafraid way the fox moved towards the sleeping girl. He saw the fox hop gently on top of her lap and lick her hands that were clasped over her stomach. Nudging it’s small head and making a cooing sound as it moved her hand to be placed over it’s small head. Wait…she was sleeping in the cold and was undisturbed from her sleep while an animal was on top of her. What if she wasn’t asleep? Her skin was so pale…she wasn’t moving…was she dead? Why else would a shrine maiden be out here? This was going to be more of a headache trying to explain how he found a dead shrine maiden in the middle of nowhere. He couldn’t say he followed a fox, just the sheer amount of suspicion that would bring. Was she murdered? He couldn’t smell blood in the air but what if it was poison? Maybe the fox was here to…

“You can stop hiding and come out now.” A soft voice called out to him and he almost jumped at the sound before he peaked his head out to see if it was she who called out to him. Her eyes were still closed but he saw her move slightly. As he walked out from behind the tree, he watched as her eyes fluttered opened slowly. With sleep still in her eyes, A small smile appeared on her lips as she looked down in the black eyes of the fox that disturbed her slumber. She slowly began petting the animal’s head who looked happy and purred in her hands. It’s long white tail swishing back and forth as it’s ears tucked back as she stroked and combed through it’s silky fur. 

Once she lifted her eyes, his eyes widened and his curiosity in regards to this mysterious shrine maiden increased. Her eyes were an array of blue, that sparkled like a jewel and almost looked like they changed colors. They were a deep dark blue that was almost black through most of her eyes, but then it faded to a lighter blue when it met the light. And if he looked close enough, there were specks of green that were almost blue that blended with it’s surroundings. It looked like she had all the colors of the ocean in her eyes, which made it clear that she was not from here. 

But it wasn’t just the color that intrigued him, it was how sad they looked. There was a pain in her eyes that mimicked what he saw when he looked into a mirror. A burden that was hidden and buried deep inside her. A burden that was her driving force to survive. A loneliness that carved out a hole that seemed to echo and highlight the emptiness she must feel.

She was in pain but she could not reveal it, just like him. She was struggling to breathe but could not ask for help, just like him. She was dangerous just like him. He didn’t know who she was, or her capabilities, but he knew that he shouldn’t be too careless in front of her. That this girl…was not ordinary shrine maiden. 

Why would a shrine maiden have eyes like his? Why would a shrine maiden be out here all all alone here with just a white fox to keep her company? And just like that, the moment of honesty that was in her eyes was quickly shadowed and turned dull. Like a turbulent ocean that became still, her silence spoke louder than words. 

“Is that yours?” His monotone voice as he carefully approached her, wondering who she was and if needed to be more on guard. She may look young but he had been younger than her when he took his first life. This world was not made for children who let their guard down.  


“What’s mine?” She asked in an almost bored tone as she kept petting the fox who looked almost amused at the situation. Kakashi didn’t know if he should stop being kind and just interrogate the strange girl with the strange summon. The fox that was nuzzling his head against the palm of her hand turned it’s head to look at him. It’s eyes did not reveal that it would attack him, but it wasn’t exactly friendly either. 

“That white fox.” Kakashi wondered if she was truly absent minded or if she was just pretending to be one. He didn’t know who he should report the sighting of this girl to. Who would be the right person to talk to in regards to the strange and mysterious shrine maiden before him. 

“What white fox?” Her voice was bored as she tucked a piece of her black hair behind her ear. Now she was just being annoyingly coy.His left eye twitched before he huffed and gestured to the animal that was happily in it’s owner’s arms. “White foxes aren’t native to this land.” 

He huffed at how she was playing dumb and avoiding his questions. It would be far easier just to report her but then again, the answer would be to whom would he report this incident to? “I’m not blind. I can see it in your arms. Is it yours? Your pet?” A growl from the fox as if he had hurt it’s pride by calling it a pet. “Or a summons? And if so…that’d make you suspicious. Shrine maidens don’t have summons especially not one like that. ” 

“Hmn. Maybe. Or he could just be my companion.” Her voice was soft, as she stroked it’s head and calmed the little animal down. “It could just be a fox that found me and followed me around. But that would be quite boring, wouldn’t it? It’s almost as if you know the answer and you just want confirmation. Which means you are just as sly as a fox.”

“I’m not being sly.” 

“No. You’re just a boy that followed a fox and assumed I was it’s owner. ”

“So, are you not the owner? You seem to know the fox quite well” 

“No. He’s my companion. You don’t own your friends.” 

“So he’s your friend.” 

“That’s right.” 

Her short answers that didn’t really answer his questions and yet did were quite annoying. Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose as before his attention went back to the white animal who almost looked amused and ready to laugh at the situation before him. 

“Then why are you here? Are you not cold? This place…it’s far form the shrine. Did you get injured?” He may as well try to get to know the girl before him. It might give him more of a clue of what sort of level of danger she was. 

“You ask a lot of questions to a stranger.” 

“Well, I’m curious.” 

“Hmn.” 

“Are you not going to answer? You do know that not answering is also an answer.” 

“Three questions, right?” She said lifting three fingers in the air. “I’m here because I like it here. It’s not too cold, I have a shawl. I was not injured, I was napping.” She lowered each finger after she answered one of his questions before lowering her hand. “My turn then.” 

“What?” 

“I get to ask three questions. It’s only fair as you are just as much of a stranger to me as I am to you.” Her tone was a matter of fact and he didn’t like how it seemed like the younger girl was reprimanding him for asking her anything. “Who are you? What do you do? How old are you? And…Oh..and could you sit? My neck hurts from looking up at you.” 

He blinked at the almost basic questions that she asked. Did she really not know who he was? If not for his silver hair, then the hitae on his forehead should have been indication enough that she was speaking to a shinobi of the leaf. He never met anyone that didn’t know who he was, even just his name. And there she sat looking at him as if she asked the most interesting questions one could ask. He could always lie, he could always pretend to not be who he was, but he wondered if this was all a test for her. If she did know and she was simply pretending not to know…would she do something if he lied? Sitting down on the snow an arms length away from her, he watched her quietly for a moment .Trying to decipher what sort of girl he was in front of, but he knew nothing. 

Mimicking the way she lifted her fingers to answer the questions, he let out a sigh before making his choice. “I am Hatake Kakashi. I am a shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village. I’m eleven.” He said lowering his fingers and looking at her with a serious expression. “Then if I may ask the same questions to you. Who are you? What do you do? How old are you?” 

“My name is Yu…” She paused before looking down at the fox and sliding a finger down the fox’s nose. “ _Yuna_.” Her voice sounded empty, like it was a name that she did not like, a name that did not feel natural to say was her own but was forced upon her. He didn’t know if he liked that. “I am a shrine maiden. I am nine years old.” The fox looked sad at her words, he didn’t know which parts were true and which were just crafted to fit her current role but he saved it in the back of his head nonetheless. 

It was almost haunting in the way she spoke. As if she was not speaking about herself but of a character from a book. Of the empty and hollow gaze in her eyes that even the fox seemed anxious about. He tried to note anything out of the ordinary in her appearance. The clothes she wore were clean, her hands clean and they looked soft, so she probably never handled a weapon. There was a small fading bruise on her cheekbone that he wanted to ask about. 

“Your companion….does he have a name?” He asked instead before he looked at the fox who seemed to snap it’s attention back to the silver haired ninja. 

“Shisha.” _Messenger_. Envoy. How suiting for a fox that lurked around a shrine. They were often messengers of the gods and spirits, not that he believed it. He wondered if this fox was as she said, a companion for her. The way the fox looked in her arms, meant that they have been together for long time. The way her gaze softened as if she did not have to be on guard when she first saw that it was the fox that woke her up. “He says he will allow you to pet him.” Head turning to look at him, the dull shade of blue in her eyes lit up slightly. And he didn’t know why it made him a little happy to see that they weren’t as dark as they were before. 

Maybe it was because it didn’t suit her. Maybe it was because the way she looked now, it was made the anxiousness he felt subside. She was inviting him to sit closer to him, at least within attack range for both of them. A dangerous proposition and yet his body moved slowly until he sat beside her. Shisha who has been watching him quickly jumped off her lap and sat between them. A hesitant hand, he gently stroked the top of the fox’s head. It was just as soft as he expected it to feel. He was reminded of his own ninken, some were still puppies, and he was pretty sure that Pakkun would not grow any bigger than Shisha was right now. 

The way the fox’s ears retreated back and made a purring sound. He always did like animals. They were always honest. Even when they attacked, it was always because they were just trying to survive. They weren’t any masks they were hiding behind, there weren’t any evil thoughts, they just wanted to live another day. “You take care of Shisha quite well.” 

“He’s a bit of a diva. He insists that I take care of him.” Her voice lifted a bit as she let her fingers stroke the fur of the tail that was still sitting upon her lap. “He prides himself on his pretty coat.” 

“I can see why…..Did you meet him on your travels through other shrines? It really is rare to see a fox so well kept here. He's also quite fast…” 

“Is he? I never noticed.” Her voice was soft, a bit dreamy and dazed before she heard the bells of the shrine ring. “I guess my break time is over. I have to head back before sundown.” 

“Let me escort you.” He said quickly before getting up from his spot and staring down at the fox who gave him almost a grin at his offer. “It’s late and there are other animals in the forest.” He offered his hand to her and wondered if she would take it. If she was a spy, he should be able to find out soon. If she did have any killing intent, this would be her chance. 

“If you don’t disturb them, they don’t disturb you.” She replied quietly before taking his hand and getting up on her feet. Brushing the snow that had fallen on top of her while she was napping, she looked down at the fox and gave it a wave. And with that it began walking ahead of them before vanishing among the snowy trees.“You don’t need to escort me, I came here by myself, I can go back by myself.” 

Maybe it was because her eyes looked so much like his. Maybe it was because she had not shown any sign of being an enemy ninja, if anything she seemed quite aloof, uncaring of her own surroundings. Or maybe it was of how soft her hands felt in his. No proper shinobi could have hands like hers. He thought but he also didn’t know anything about her. Not really. He didn’t even know if the name she gave him was her real name. So, maybe he was doing this to follow her and to see if she truly was a shrine maiden as she claimed. “I have to go back to the shrine to meet up with my friends anyways. Since we are heading in the same direction.” 

“Alright then.” Her response was short as she began walking slowly through the clearing and through forest. “You seem to have a question. I’ll give you one answer for free.” 

He had several questions he’d like to ask. He wanted to know more about her, he was beyond curious about her. His mind that was usually preoccupied with his training and trying to survive and earn back the honor of his family’s name was surprisingly occupied with thoughts of her. “Why did Shisha let me pet him?” 

“He said you had eyes like me. He said that was enough to know that you were trustworthy.” She said nonchalantly as she moved a few branches and walked through the snow without stumbling once or slipping on the ice that coated the ground. He did not sense her using any chakra on her feet like he was, and yet she seemed to walk with more ease than he did. “He also felt bad that he made you run all the way over for no reason. Shisha has been quite a little troublemaker lately.”

Trustworthy. What a strange word to describe him. He was called trustworthy in that he would do everything to complete the mission. Trustworthy in that he would not betray this village. Trustworthy because of the skills he showed time and time again. But how could a fox much less Yuna call him trustworthy without knowing more than his name. “Eyes like yours.” he repeated quietly as he walked beside her. So, she noticed as well. Observant, mysterious in her abilities, he didn’t quite know how to describe the girl next to him.

“Maybe next time I should introduce my summons to Shisha. It seems as though he’s quite lonely and bored as well. He was watching my friends make a fool out of themselves at the shrine. I have a few pups that could probably beat him in a race.” 

“Next time? Are you saying we’ll meet again?” Stopping as he saw the entrance of the shrine just a few meters ahead of them, she turned around and he saw her blue eyes sparkle in the sunset. Dark blues that lit up against the red hues of the setting sun, her own pale skin looking more warm than it did before in the clearing. Her dark hair shined as strands of her hair flew with the cool winter breeze. “Like I said, Shisha is very prideful.” 

“Well I’m off duty due to injuries for a week and walking to the shrine is some of the best training I can get right now. I’m sure my ninken would love a chance to showcase their skills. At least…if that’s what your companion would like.” 

A small smile appearing on her lips, it looked so natural, not forced or faked. He hadn’t seen a smile without any ties or expectations for a bit of time. “Well, I suppose it wouldn’t be too bad for us to meet again, Hatake-san.”

The softness of her facial expression, the way she pressed a hand down on her hair to keep it from blowing as she angled her head to the side. It made Kakashi pause as he looked at her for a moment, lost in the way her eyes glowed and sparked. _She has honest eyes._ He thought quietly. Only to snap out of his daze when he heard his name being called by his friends. Turning around, he saw Gai waving his arm before he noticed the girl beside him, his eyes widening before giving him a big grin and two thumbs up. _Oh no…he misunderstood the situation._ Kakashi groaned inwardly. “Well..Until next time, Yuna-san.” He said with a nod before jumping and hitting Gai on the head before he could spread any assumptions he made. 

She watched for a moment, a stoic expression on her face as she watched him quickly leave her and meet up with his friends. He watched the way they looked at him with concern, wondering where he could have wandered off to. And then of course the laughter and the quick double takes as they looked to see where she was once standing Walking down the hill towards the shrine, a small white fox approached her and curled around her feet.“Yuki-sama.” Shisha’s voice echoed in her head. “I don’t recall saying that he could pet me. I didn’t even know he would follow me. That was why I woke you up...I know it's been hard for you to sleep...I should have been more careful...I'm sorry.” 

“It’s fine. And in regards to him petting you...I wanted to see..” She said quietly as she entered the gates and quietly bowed to the priests and the other shrine maidens who saw the quiet girl enter. “I wanted to see what he would do. I wanted to see if what I saw in his eyes were true or not.” Leaning down to pick up the fox and she held the fox close in arms. She walked straight before turning around the corner to where she was supposed to meet her handler and give her daily report. He would be waiting in the back gates, giving the illusion that he was praying.

“And what was that?” The fox wondered what would have made his master let her guard down. Why she let him ask her questions when she could have easily silenced him. Why she pretended even when she was alone to be this Yuna, a mere shrine maiden. He wondered what about the silver haired ninja made his master curious enough to open up and even smile at him in a way that they had not seen since before the attack. 

“Someone like me.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins! I have so many things planned out for Yuki! and Yes we will dive into why she's at the shrine and why she goes by Yuna in the next chapter and yes...it does have to related to Root. 
> 
> So it's been almost two years since she's been taken by Danzo...and ... i will also get into that of what happened in those two years. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoy!  
> You can talk to me on twitter @bledstars!


	3. Chapter 3

There were two kinds of people that ROOT took in. 

Those who were abandoned by the world, orphans, failed experiments, those that would not be missed or noticed even when they are dead. When it came to those kind of members, there was a systematic way to break them down and make them a proper root agent. To grow up with someone, to train with them, to take missions with them until the very last moment where they would face each other on the field. A fight for their lives. Their final test, to strip them of any sentiment or emotional attachment. To strip them of all joy, to take away any hope of a life outside of root, to make them a shell of a human being.They were easier to take in and manipulate. ROOT became their entire world, Danzo became like a god to them. Crafted to be weapons, to protect the village from the shadows, hidden underground, and willing to get their hands dirty for the righteous cause.

Or at least that’s what they were told.

They were the ones that he crafted and carved. Like uncut gems that he shined up and nurtured. He raised them to be part of this elite force that were willing to do whatever it takes to maintain the peace. They would lay down their lives for him. They would be tortured for him. They would take on the curse mark for him. They would die for him. 

The second were those that abandoned the world. Those that were angry at the world, those that felt betrayed and rather than wait for the world to discard them, they discarded the world first. They were volatile, chaotic, and often times already broken. They were the most dangerous members of ROOT because even Danzo himself did not have full control of them. So, why would a man that demanded more control and power allow for them to enter the most secretive agency in the world? Why would he allow such a risk? To put it simply, even those that didn’t care for what happened to the world, still had something they wanted. Some just wanted more money, so he gave them that. Some just wanted to quench their bloodlust, so he gave them that. Some wanted information, so he provided what they yearned to know. 

But the little girl from the snow, he never knew where to place her.

At first he thought she fell into the first category, a child abandoned by the world. It made sense by the mere fact that her clan had all but vanished. With only ghost stories and tales of an old clan that used to speak to the spirits in the mountains. He had heard rumors of a rare kekkei genkai that followed them. Of a clan that could create weapons out of the air and water. Of a clan that had some of the most elite and rare summons in the land of water or snow. Those who whose leaders were naturally talented in senjutsu, adept at drawing the natural elements around them and blending it with their own chakra. They say they were more spirit than human. He wanted to see if they still existed, he wanted to know if they were a weapon pointed at him or something he could wield for himself. 

But when he headed towards the rumored place, a mountain peak where snow and ice never melted, he realized they were far more terrifying and mythical than he expected. He and his men were warned that they should not go. That they would not come out the same. That no one can survive the cold that went beyond the peak. They ignored the warning signs, the signs that begged any wandering traveller to run away, to turn away and go the other way. His desire to know, his desire for this power that had surrounding villages afraid with just a story pushed him to carry on. 

As they drew closer to the peak, to the center of where the clan was rumored to have been from, his elite group of ninjas could not get through the snow or hail. The snow making them slip and unable to walk properly even with chakra binding their feet to the ground. The hail sharper than blades as it cut through their skin. And the few that were able to step foot beyond the old and worn gate, ended up back with more than just physical wounds. 

They came back with horror in their eyes. There were no wounds on their bodies, and when they were scanned through a mind jutsu, their minds were shattered like glass. Pieces of their memories broken and darkness encompassing and eating at their psyche. These were ANBU operatives, even more than that, they were ROOT. They did not have memories or emotions to cling to. They did not have the luxury of losing their minds, and yet it was only a matter of days before the years of training came undone. 

They began mumbling, unable to sleep, rocking back and forth as they clenched at their heads. They spoke of unimaginable things, of an old woman that floated in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by other phantom like figures. How they warned them to leave, leave before taking another step. One man screamed in the middle of the night, pulling at his hair and crying that they should have heeded their warning, they should have left and ran away the moment they saw her.

_Cursed. Cursed. Cursed._ They whispered as they could not sleep and their other teammates watched as they slipped into madness. They screamed in the middle of the night, saying that they could still hear the haunting voice that screamed at them in the middle of the night when they closed their eyes. Danzo watched as they screamed and called out for help, saying that they didn’t want to go, they shouldn’t have come, that death would better than this. He saw all the training and all the work a shinobi went through to devoid himself of irrationality and emotions, destroyed in a matter of hours. 

They pulled at their hair, clawed at their eyes, screamed until their throats went raw. Some gauged their eyes out, hallucinating that the ghost from the mountain was there in front of them, mocking them, hissing at them, dragging them to hell’s door. They constantly felt cold, a painful cold that seeped into their bones and made them crawl towards the fire, desperate to feel something. They looked like walking corpses. They chewed out their tongue believing that the pain would stop. They screamed about a woman that came to them in their dreams, how cold their bodies felt when they saw the pale blue eyes that peaked out of the black hair that curtained her face. How she looked at them and reached out with her pale hand to strangle the last of their living breath. 

He watched them all die, unwilling to bare the curse of the yuki-onna that guarded the mountains. They all took their own lives. Some begging for forgiveness to an invisible figure over the horizon of the snowy landscape. Some fearful of death for the first time in their lives, wondering if it would even end the hell they were in. The one to endure it the longest was one that was under ROOT for over a decade and he could not last more than three days of the nightmares that haunted his mind. He had hung himself from a nearby tree, eyes wide with fear as he stared into nothing. 

Danzo wanted that power. A power so terrifying that it made the strongest men afraid of the night. A power so incredible that he had no words for it. It wasn’t just chakra, it was something deeper, it was something raw, undeniably frightening, something that was older than the villages or lands themselves. It was an ancient power. It was more than what the rumors pictured them out to be. 

So, he went off on a search for the scattered members. He would later find out that so many of their clan abandoned that power like fools and weren’t even able to blend water and air together for their own protection. _Useless._ He went on a hunt. There had to be one that could hold the same terrifying power that he saw on those mountains. He had tortured to find out more. He stole information in order to discover anything about this mysterious demonic clan. 

And when he first saw her, a small little thing that was surrounded by a small group, he knew he found the gem he had been looking for. The little girl who stared at him unfazed, unafraid, undaunted by the group of ninjas surrounding her. The weapon he had been wanting to have in his arsenal, a blade that could cut through bodies and minds. 

He told his men to bring her to him that he didn’t care for the others. But they would not give her up without a fight. They called her leader, they protected the young girl with their lives and paid the price with their blood soaking the ground.

He had not used his stolen sharingans for many years until that day. But the girl, he needed to have her alive. Her silence, the empty gaze in her blue eyes as she stared at her dying parents and guards, it was only a matter of time before she lost her mind. He had to tame and control this hidden monster before him. 

A war orphan traumatized of losing her parents in front of her. He wanted her to believe that she was abandoned by the world. He needed her to crave for a home, a purpose, a reason to live. And while he was the one that cut down her own parents, it was not his fault, he would try to plant that idea in her head as she was trapped in the genjutsu. She, who blankly starred at the dead in front other would blame the village that shunned them, the land that used and discarded them, the people that pushed them to run and leave their ancestral home. He would be the one to take her in. He would tell her that he could have simply killed her but he chose to let her live. That the strange girl that coldly stared at the blood around her could take his hand and become one of his weapons. 

But then she did something he did not expect. She snapped out of the illusion, the manipulation and glared up at him. And she did not look like a little girl then, no, those eyes belonged to someone who was far older and wiser than she appeared. As if she was possessed, her hand quickly took the life of the man approaching her. How easy she made it look to form a blade out of ice, without any hand signs, and slit his throat. 

A chill ran down his spine as she angled her head and watched the man gag and choke on his own blood. How he reached out wanting to take her down with her but instead became covered in snow. He heard the way he screamed as the snow and ice compressed tightly before he heard the notable crunch of a broken body, shattering under the pressure she created. A perfect murder, no trace of his body except for the blood that coated the snow. The tiny hand that was still red with blood, quickly moved to cast a snow storm and he hissed at the idea that he would lose the weapon before him. He heard the growl and roars of beasts that seemed to surround them. 

Opening his eyes when the snowstorm died down, she sat in the middle alone. The bodies of her clansmen gone as if they were never there. She looked like a child again, tired and exhausted from the amount of chakra she must have used.

Danzo had found his weapon. He had found the ancient hidden inside a small child. He found what he was looking for and he would not lose it. Ordering his men to grab her, he saw her eyes close as they knocked her out and swung her over their shoulder. There was not a single thing in the clearing that they were fighting moments ago. If she could leave, why didn't she? Why did she stay and hide the bodies of her family members. There were too many unanswered questions regarding this girl. But there was one thing he was sure of, this girl was not abandoned, there were spirits that surrounded her. She was not forgotten, for the beasts and cold protected her. She had something to protect, and that was her own clan. A smile creeped onto his smile at the realization that she would do anything for her people. To protect them, to make sure no harm came to them, dead or alive, she would do anything to guard them. 

Danzo wasn’t pleased that she fell into the second category. That she was the one that abandoned the world around her. She was a ghost standing before him. Like a spirit watching mortals play war, she looked at them with apathy.A tie to this world, her weakness, his way of holding this valuable tool for his own ambition.But when it was in regards to her clan, when it was in regards to those that were scattered all around, she would do anything.A tie to this world, her weakness, his way of holding this valuable tool for his own ambition. She wanted to take vengeance on those that harmed them, and he was sure that he was high on that list, but there were so many others. He wondered how many names he would sell to make sure she stayed loyal. He could sell the Hidden Village in the Mist, he could sell the Land of Water, hell he could sell his own village. He would even promise that he would not touch the remaining and hidden members of her clan, that she would have their names so she could protect them if she wanted. It didn’t matter, no matter the cost, she was a weapon that he needed to have.

He would give her names. Of those that hurt her clan, of her clan members that were lost and hiding, he would give it all to her if it mean he could use her. If he could hone that power and use her for his own glory, his own desire for power. 

She was placed in a room, a cage, a prison cell once they got back to the mountains that they hid in. This room that they had placed her in while he sat in front of her smelled of mildew and death. She could hear the screams of ghosts that echoed through the halls, of torture, of death, of something far worse than just blood and gore. But none of that bothered her. She sat in the corner of the room, her eyes hollow and devoid of any emotion as she stared at the bars that kept her in like some sort of animal. 

Her hand was still coated with the blood of the man she killed. She had killed one of his own. She had killed them without any care. And she felt no guilt. It was kill or be killed here. It was a world where it didn't matter if all she wanted was to be left alone. She would always be hunted, she would always be something they wanted to use. Yuki, the name that held a heavy burden. 

She felt the weight of the stone around neck feel heavy. She was not afraid, she told herself. Like the old woman said, she was not alone. Her ancestors would protect her, the sprits would be her shield and sword. She was promised that, she felt their powers guide her hand to protect her when everyone else had perished. She wondered if she was so powerful, if she was so strong, if the cold chose her, why couldn’t she protect those that stood by her side. Lowering her head, her hand grasped at the stone and almost felt a heartbeat in it. A reassurance that she was not alone.

Inside the empty cell, she was given a few days to think over the deal he gave her. If she served him, he would not hunt down the rest of her clan and bring them to extinction. If she used her powers for his missions, she would be given the names of those that betrayed her clan, of those the leaders that led to the rumors and the stories that led to them being scorned and shunned. If she became a weapon, the deaths of her parents, of all the other members of her clan, would not have been for vain. 

The other members of ROOT wondered if this was a choice that a child could make. If she even had the mental capacity to understand what she was signing up for. But then again, she was not just a child. She was not some orphan that he picked up on the street that was begging for a home again. She was not a child that did not know who she was. She knew exactly who she was, what she could do, and the heavy weight that was put on her shoulder. 

She was a child but she was the leader of her clan. The one that the cold had chosen. They were her people being threatened by a man with ugly eyes all over his body. The cold that was older than any man, any village, any land. The cold held the memories of her people. The cold was there before them, as ice, as the frozen tundra that surrounded and covered the earth. It was at the core of the earth, it was there and it chose her. She was the guardian of something far older, she was picked to lead because the cold knew she would make the best choice for them. She was the chosen Yuki. She was her clan. She was the cold.

This man who demanded her service. Who told her to fear him, he could not withstand the cold. But he could take more from her. For he was a hungry monster that only knew how to consume. She needed those names. She needed to protect her people. She needed to live and guard the cold. That was what the previous Yuki had told her as she used the last of her chakra, the last of her life. To seal and protect the mountain from outsiders. The old woman had lived beyond her years, lived lifetimes as the guardian. Waiting for her, waiting for the next Yuki, waiting and taking on the burden until she was given the chance to rest. 

When they dragged her out of the cell, the metal cuffs around her ankles and wrists heavy. She knew the choice she had to make. She knew what she would have to do. Lifting her tired eyes to look up at the man that took killed her parents, that wouldn’t care to kill so many more members of her clan. The man that smelled like greed, rotten and destructive, not caring for anything or anyone but himself. Did he really think making a deal with her was a good idea? 

“So do we have a deal, little girl?” She was far smaller than the others that kept looking at her from behind those masks. **_Cowards_** , a voice echoed in her head as she passed by them, hiding behind a mask. Hiding in the shadows, they would never be able to survive the cold. The cold does not care for what you wear to hide yourself, the cold will not be so forgiving.They can try to hide from the cold, but the cold will find them. The cold will have retribution.

“You will not touch my people. You will not hurt them. You will not disturb them. You will treat them like ghosts, ignore them, let them live their lives.” Her eyes full of hate as she glared up at him. “I will choose when I kill you. When the cold tells me to take you…when they tell me that you are useless. That will be when I kill you. That’s when this contract ends. I am using you just as much as you are using me.” 

“And what makes you think that I will abide by those rules?” He said with a cruel and evil smile. All teeth, like a monster looking at it’s next meal. “What makes you think you can kill me.” 

“Because you are unable to kill me. If you were able…you would have. But you need me. You won’t kill me. But me? I look forward to the day when the cold takes you and drags you to the underworld.” 

“I can’t tell if you’re brave or stupid, girl. To speak like that, have you no fear?” 

“Why would a ghost fear death?” 

She was given a new identity when she said she did not have one. Yuki was her clan. Yuki was her title. Yuki was never truly her. And the name her parents gave her, it was too precious to give to the monster. So, she told him that she was nameless. She told them that the girl before him was a ghost, and ghosts do not have names. So, she became Yuna, a shrine maiden. It was the easiest way to excuse her lack of existence or background the village of the leaf. It would also allow him to have someone on the inside. She would take on the persona in a years’s time after training inside the mountain. A good soldier sharpened their weapon to make sure they can go for the kill. And that’s what she was, a weapon. 

But when she was his weapon, when she worked for him, she would be Yokai. While most ANBU members would take on the persona of an animal or beast, none of them seemed to suit the girl from the snow. He picked up an unpainted mask and handed it to her, this unearthly girl, this strange and bizarre girl that looked at him with dead eyes, would be his Yokai. 

Her handler, Iwao, would watch over her and provide her with her missions while also making sure she did not do anything to endanger ROOT. She was told that Iwao had the name of one of her clan members and if she so much as revealed their deal to anyone, revealed her association with the underground force, she would be given their head. 

Iwao would take on the role of a distant relative that had brought in his cousin who had been recently orphaned by the wars in the North. She would not show her abilities to anyone, she would not reveal her skills, she would be a quiet spy within the shrine’s system. A system that Danzo opposed and wanted nothing more than to use for his own ambitions. The shrine system was an information hotspot, to have someone on the inside would be critical in the survival of ROOT.Reporting on her findings, on the people that lurked in the shrine, the secret meetings that happened, all of it was her duty as well as the taking on missions that Danzo felt was suitable for his Yokai. She did it for the names, she did it so she can protect her people, she did it take out those that betrayed them. She did it because it was her duty as the Yuki. 

“You are late.” He said as she quietly handed him the scroll that reported her daily findings. She had used her own summons to collect information, but she did leave out the part of the group of ninjas that appeared to do their new year’s greetings, a few days ago. She left out the part of being found by a silver haired ninja who had eyes that looked like hers. Maybe she left it out because she did not find it important to give to Danzo, or maybe because she simply did not want him to have everything. 

Sitting across from him in the private room of the tea house, she stared at the cup of tea.She wanted to leave. A silence as he took the scroll before handing her another one. “You are asked to come to the mountain to take your next mission. It’ll be in the Land of Sound. Prepare yourself.” 

“Am I going alone?” She asked as she handed the scroll to Shisha without even looking at it. 

“Do you think we’d trust you to be alone?”Her shrug was the only response she gave before she crossed her arms and looked away from Iwao. A click of his tongue before he ran a hand down his face and got up from his seat. “You will be accompanied by two members. Your task is to steal information. You will get a name of one of your own as a bonus. Make sure you go to the village to get some clothes. You will be going in as a merchant’s daughter.” He set down the bag of coins, payment and her monthly allowance. She was given a salary from the shrine and of course the payments for her missions came in the form of coins along with a name. “You did well on your last mission.” 

Her jaw tightened at the compliment. Her last mission was an assignation of a low born official that worked for a corrupt lord. He had found some discrepancy in the finances and charges unaccounted for. Blood money that was being used by the same Lord he served to buy whatever he pleased and use to line his own pockets. It had been easy to kill the official. She slipped into his home and slit his throat before the sun rose, poisoned him so that it looked like a heart attack. What wasn’t easy was hearing the screams and wails of his pregnant wife. She had made her a widow, she had taken away her husband because he had gotten involved with something he should have ignored. 

“Am I allowed to leave now? I still have to buy some food for myself.” She took out the amount of coins she would need for her week’s supply of food before slipping them into the pouch hanging from her waist. Taking the scroll, she noted the weight before slipping tying it to the bag that held the remaining coin. She then handed her animal companion the prepared bag. Shisha took the bag with the remaining coins and scroll into it’s mouth and vanished in a puff of smoke. 

“Would you want me to help?” Iwao said now taking on the persona of her kind older cousin that wanted to make sure she was okay. She hated that part the most of about him. She never quiet knew if he was a friend or an enemy. She noticed the look in his eyes when he thought she wasn’t looking. A look of pity. She wondered how he was able to hide it from Danzo. 

“It’s fine. I still have half a bag of rice from your last delivery.” As they left the teahouse, sheturned around and bowed to the older man. “Thank you, dear cousin.” Refined and executed with grace, Iwao wondered where the ghost of ROOT learned to look like such a lady. 

Putting another yuzu into the bag, she planned on making a jam out of the fruit, something tart and sweet. Smiling at the thought, she already knew that her summons enjoyed the taste, maybe she should make extra and store it for them. She looked at the shopkeeper who kept staring at her. “Have I done something wrong?” She asked softly, her blue eyes staring up at the old lady. 

“I only see you a couple times a month...and you’re always alone.” A sad look was in the woman’s eyes. She was used to it. She had seen it when she first came into the shrine program. So, she did what she always did when she saw people from this village that was stained with so much blood and yet ignored it, believing themselves to be clean, she put up a smile. 

“I didn’t think you’d notice me. Like you said, I only come here a few time a month. I’m quiet flattered.” She said before she tied the bag and handed it to the woman for it to be weighed. 

“You’re a beautiful girl with features not from this village. Of course, this old lady would notice. This is quite a lot of Yuzu...do you plan on making some jam?” 

“Yes... I like Yuzu. It’s one of my favorite fruits.” She said softly remembering the days on the mountain during the first day of winter, how they would celebrate with a feast and the highlight being the fruit. There would be pastries filled with the jam, warm tea, everything about it, brought a real smile to her lips. 

“You should make some tea as well. I’ll add some ginger on the house. It’s getting to be quiet cold this wintertime. Make sure you bundle up better in the near future.You look terribly pale.” The old woman noted before taking the coins from the young girl and smiling at her. Looking down at her attire, she noticed that she was wearing significantly less clothing than anyone else in the village, with her simple kimono and a hanten that was given to her by the shrine. She didn’t even wear a scarf or hat to protect herself from the wind. 

“I am quite used to the cold.” She said softly before taking the bag into her hand and bowing low. “But thank you for your consideration...and the ginger...” Moving back, she held the bag of fruits with both her hands as she walked down the streets of the village. 

“Yuna-San?” A voice called out, and she turned around quietly to see the silver haired boy again. Bu this time he was not alone. He was with two of the people that visited the shrine, a girl with a short brown hair and a boy with goggles and short black hair. But behind him, she also saw an older man with blonde hair. His eyes were gentle, kind and strangely warm even towards a stranger.However, there was something calculating in his gaze, as if he was trying to understand her, determine if she was worthy of his trust. 

“Eh? You know her Kakashi?” The boy with black hair asked with a curious look and trembled when a cold wind brushed passed them. 

“That hanten....Oh! You must be the shrine maiden.” The girl said brightly as she clapped her hands together as she figured out the mysterious girl before her. “Wow... you’re really pretty. I can see why Kakashi left us to hang out with you!” 

“Kakashi left you?” An amused chuckle from the blonde man. She wondered how long she had to stand here carrying the heavy bag until they left her alone. “Now that’s interesting.” 

“I didn’t leave anyone...I was just..I just wandered and I happened to meet her.” A grumpy frown on his lips before his gaze returned to her and saw the bag she was carrying. “Is that heavy?” 

“I may have bought a bit much but it’s fine. It’s not too bad.” She responded politely before she tried to think of a way to get out of the conversation. She just wanted to get home and start making her jam. She just wanted to see her summons enjoy the food she made. Maybe she’d even make an extra jar for the old woman that sold her the fruit. She just wanted to get out of here. She was not sure her lie and her cover as the simple shrine maiden can keep up especially with someone like the blonde man present. He looked like he could see right through her. 

“Waaa is that Yuzu!” A bright cheerful voice called from behind her and the black haired girl quickly turned around to see a woman with bright red hair behind her. Stumbling back, she would have fallen if Kakashi did not swiftly move to catch her from behind. Her bag fell to the ground, the fruit tumbling and rolling out. But she didn’t stumble backwards at the surprising voice behind her, it was the immense feeling of chakra and spiritual energy she felt coming out of the woman. She had never in her life experienced someone with such raw ancient chakra from someone that wasn’t from her clan. This woman, had an old power in her. “Oh no! Did I surprise you?” 

“You did come from behind her, Kushina.” The blonde man said with a chuckle before walking towards the woman and taking the bags from her hands. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine.” She responded, her eyes not leaving the red haired woman. It was almost comforting to feel her immense chakra. It made the little girl feel less alone as she felt someone with a similar ancient power in her veins. She knew that this woman before her had power that was greater than her own, and yet the cheerful disposition, the way she smiled without a care in the world. Yuki wanted to protect it. It felt precious. That smile that was kind and warm. It felt too good to be true. “I’m sorry.” She said quietly to the silver haired boy as she looked down to see some of the fruit that had fallen out of the bag when she stumbled backwards. 

Getting down to pick up her bag and putting the fruit back in, she saw other hands around her helping her pick it up and placing it in the bag. The boy with the goggles on top of his head, the short haired brunette, the blonde man, Kakashi, and even the red haired woman.A simple and yet kind gesture that she was not accustomed to. When the red haired woman handed her the last fruit, she took it with a shyness as she placed it in her bag. “My name is Kushina...what’s yours?” 

Her eyes darting from side to side, wondering if anyone was watching her.When she felt it was clear, she bowed low towards the two adults. “My name is Yuna. I work at the shrine.” She said just like she had rehearsed over and over again.

“Yuna! Well Yuna..You’re in trouble.” She said with a laugh before she frowned. The sudden change in expression made her wince. The young girl stiffened as if she did something wrong, bracing herself for a hit, she quickly shut her eyes and stiffened her shoulders. Trying to make herself as small as possible, bracing herself for the inevitable hit. She had been hit enough times by those working for Danzo. She had been hit enough times when they felt she had stepped too far out of line. It was just a temporary pain, she could handle a hit. But there was not slap, rather something soft around her neck.Kushina had undone her grey scarf and wrapped it around the young girl’s neck. “You’ll catch a cold like that.” She said with a parental tone before patting the top of her head, gently but hesitant. 

“I’m fine...the cold...I’m not bothered by it...I’m quite used to the cold...please I can’t take this.”She was more concerned of the questions that may arise over a piece of clothing. She did not want to explain this to Danzo. She did not want to have to deal with the consequences, not today. 

“Everyone thinks they are immune to the cold. But they forget how unforgiving it can be.” Kushina’s voice was soft as her smile and the young girl didn’t know what to do. There was a charisma, a charm that was undeniable. As if she couldn’t oppose the woman’s words, nor did she want to. “Consider this an apology for scaring you earlier.” 

“Ah...okay...Thank you..” She said a bit reluctantly as she lowered her gaze and her feet shifted slightly so she can move out away from them. “I’ll…return it as soon as I can.” 

“No. No. You don’t return gifts.” Kushina said before taking a small step towards the girl, a girl who looked ready to run away, a girl ready to brace for a hit rather than an embrace. It broke Kushina’s heart to see how quickly she was to move away from any sense of intimacy. There was a nervousness in the young girl’s behavior, like a frightened animal.How she quickly shut her eyes as if she was prepared to be hit. It didn’t sit right with her. “How about instead you join us for dinner? Minato and his team just came back from training! We are making sukiyaki” 

“Ah…” The young girl simply shook her head, before bowing low, averting the gaze of the entire group. “I have to go home. The shrine doesn’t like us being out for too long…”Her words were quiet as she tried her best to figure out the best way to get out of the situation. 

“I’ll escort her home.” Kakashi’s voice drawled before taking a step and taking the bag from her hands. “We will be eating at your place right, Sensei?”With a nod from the blonde man, he nodded and began walking away with her bag of yuzu. Quickly turning around to the remaining members of the group, she bowed low and turned on her heels to walk beside the silver haired ninja. 

“Rin. Obito. Can you take the bags and head over to our place? I need to pick up a few more things before dinner.” Kushina asked with a smile, but once the younger nin had left, the woman’s smile quickly dropped into a frown. “You saw it too, right Minato? She flinched...like I was going to hit her.” 

“I saw...I’ll look into it..but if she’s from the shrine...and she’s doesn’t look like she was from the Land of Fire either....the records we may have on her might be basically nothing.” Minato said calmly, recalling the way her blue eyes looked at them, taking them all in, analyzing them to see if they were friendly or not. She was a child that knew war, that knew pain and blood in cruel almost unimaginable ways.

“She had the same look in her eyes that I did when I first came here...Frightened...alone...angry...”Kushina said as she bit down on her thumb, watching the fading figures of the Kakashi and Yuna. “She looked like she wanted to cry...but couldn’t...She looked...terrified...as if...”

“I’ll look into it, Kushina... for now...We’ll ask Kakashi about anything he knows about her.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Writing Danzo's pov was quite strange and just like his own beliefs was quite heavy. I had to stop myself from writing more cause the word count was getting a bit much..
> 
> I'm so excited to expand Kushina's role in the Ninja world? I think we don't get enough of her (and MInato..but mostly Kushina) And I think Kushina who is also a refuge? Not originally from the Land of Fire. And as a jinchuriki who has a similar ancient chakra as Yuki's...they are going to bond. They are going to have a similar relationship to that of Tsuande-Sakura, JIraya-Naruto. I just really want to give her a bigger role in this universe. And cause I love pain...LOL 
> 
> Some translations: (please know I am not Japanese and I am more than willing to learn and change things if there is a problem with it.) 
> 
> Yokai: a ghost, a demon ,a phantom ( one that is bewitching, attractive, mysterious, suspicious.)  
> Yuzu: a citrus fruit that is blooms in the cold / wintertime. A common fruit during the wintertime  
> Hanten: a short winter coat. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! Please leave comments and Kudos because it does show that there are people interested in this story and the direction that it's going! :)
> 
> Find me on Twitter @bledstars


	4. Chapter 4

Sharp. Precise. Quick. 

That was how she killed. She didn’t see the need to cause her victim to suffer. She’d rather it be a clean stab, a clean cut, a clean death. But her mission wanted her to cause a mess, to make it seem chaotic, to create false trails. To create a case so convoluted and confusing, that it would go cold. Pressing the blade into her mark’s chest, her white mask splattered with red from the previous victims whose throats were slit and now were on the floor, cold and without life.All in order to look like chaos, rather than a selected hit.

Her mission to retrieve some information had been changed to an assassination. A bigger pile of gold was all it took for Danzo to change her mission scroll. “This suits you better, Yokai. A demon belongs among the dead, after all.”He said with a sinister smile. 

“Why? What have I done…to deserve this?” The girl asked as she choked on her own blood. This one couldn’t die like the rest and for that Yuki was apologetic. This would be a slow and painful death. This girl was the main target. The bastard daughter of some high ranking lord that wanted her dead. She was a liability to his son’s legitimacy and their father’s legacy. The man was thought to be kind, gentle, a fair lord. But he also took advantage of a poor maid who was unlucky enough to stumble upon the drunk lord. And while she tried her best to hide her daughter, the distinctive lavender hair was enough to have her name be given to Danzo. The girl’s only crime was being born. She was fourteen, living her life quietly as a maid just like her mother. Just trying to live, just trying her best to survive in such a dangerous world.

She was silent as she watched the life drain out of the girl’s eyes. Yuki set her down on the floor and waited beside her as she took her final breaths. It was worse when someone had to die on their own. And this girl would be a nameless, unknown figure. Her own father was the one that put the hit on her. Her own father was the one that wanted her dead. Her mother had already died from childbirth, this girl was all alone. She would die with no one to care about who she was, what her name was, or why she was supposed to die. “What’s your name?” Yuki asked quietly. 

“Kiko…”She gasped for breath and looked at the masked assassin. Nodding slowly Yuki used some of the blood that stained her mask and created summoning seal. With a poof of smoke, a white rabbit appeared between them. It was young, and had just recently joined her summons. One of the smaller ones from it’s nest. It’s black eyes stared up at it’s master before looking around to the bloodstained room. It’s tiny nose wrinkling before it saw the body that was slowly becoming more cold. “A bunny…” 

“Can I give it your name?” Yuki knew it wasn’t much, but the girl should be remembered. Even if it was by name only, this girl deserved to have a place in this world that so easily threw her away. 

“You would…You would want my name?” Her own mother rested in a nameless mass grave. Her father…she never knew him. “Why would you want such a common name?” 

“Because you deserve to be remembered. Even if it by your killer’s hand.” 

“You…You didn’t want to kill me..did you?” 

A silent pause before Yuki let the bunny hop towards the dying girl. The soft cooing sounds it made before pressing it’s nose against her blood hand. “I still did. I followed my order. I am still guilty.” 

“But you’ve killed many before, did you ask for all of their names?” 

“No.” 

“So, why ask for mine? Why name something so precious to you after someone you don’t even know.” 

A pause as if she was trying to figure out the reason herself. Tasting the name on her lips, _Kiko,_ Yes that suited the rabbit quite well. “Because…I wanted to.” 

“Is that all?” 

“Yes.” 

“Then okay.” A weak smile appearing on the girl’s lips as she slowly began closing her eyes. “I will give you my name….” With that the small white rabbit jumped on top of the young girl’s chest and nuzzled it’s nose against her as a sign of thanks. 

“Kyuu.”It squealed softly.

You’re a kind assassin aren’t you?” She spoke in a low voice as she pet the rabbit’s soft head with a trembling hand. 

“I am not kind.” 

“Can I know your name? I promise I’ll take it to the grave.” 

Taking hold the white rabbit, she watched the small animal disappear in another poof of smoke before she placed a hand on top of the girl’s arm. “They call me Yokai.” 

“But that’s not your real name, is it? If it is…It’s a terrible name.” 

"It is a terrible name.”A pause, a sigh, before she whispered gently before cold began to spread from her fingers to Kiko’s body, slowly numbing her so that the pain would subside. It was enough. She suffered enough. And slowly the cold began wrapping around the girl’s heart, slowing the heartbeat. “Yuki.” She said with a heavy heart as she saw the girl finally smile.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.I knew you were kind…Thank you, Yuki-chan…Please take care of Kiko.” 

Yuki sat beside her and waited for the other two in her team to come to retrieve her. To analyze how well she did her job. And as she heard their footsteps, she exhaled slowly. She heard them starting to arrange the bodies, dragging on towards the door to make it look like they were trying to escape. All of it was to tell a story, a narrative that Danzo wanted. That the client had paid for. 

“Nice work Yokai.”

They jumped through the trees. She would debrief her mission, be kept in the mountain for a day or two and then return back as Yuna the shrine maiden. It had been such a routine that she didn’t even blink twice in regards to switching identities anymore.

To lose one’s sense of self. That was what he wanted from her.He wanted her to slowly lose Yuki, the girl from the snow, and become his prized weapon. His Yokai, his Yuna, his puppet to use whenever he pleased. The other two ROOT agents looked back to see the smaller agent follow them without a word. They had become used to her silence, she did her mission in the quiet, and she finished them in the quiet. She never spoke to them unless she was asked a direct question, and that wasn’t often enough. While as shinobi they had seen their fair share of horrors and terrors. There was something very ominous and cold about the Yokai of ROOT. 

Then they heard the clashes of battle. They paused and looked down from the shadows of the leaves. The eyes hidden behind the mask widened at the team that looked like they were being overwhelmed. A blonde man that was holding back several bandits with a a silver haired boy that was darting through the trees trying his best to fight back. The dark haired boy that was holding his own while protecting the girl with short brown hair who was healing an old man from a critical injury. There was a small merchant group that they was trembling in the shadows, guarded by a young man with green hair, staring at the medic. 

“What should we do, Captain?” She heard one of the escorts ask the man behind the tiger mask. “That’s Team Minato from our village.” 

“We watch for now.” 

As she watched the battle, she knew that they were barely holding it together. It was an escort mission gone wrong from what she can tell. They were ambushed but from which angle? Was there a spy from the inside? She watched them with curiosity, her head tilted to the side. They worked as team, every movement was quick and may have seemed like they weren’t watching each other, but they were. ‘ _They work well together.’_ She thought quietly before she felt something change in the wind. Eyes narrowing, she saw something shine behind the medic of the team which cause her feet to move before her escorts could stop her. 

“Yokai!” An angry yell as the tiger mask tried to grab hold of her but missing. 

Jumping off the branch, leaving behind a footprint made of ice, the tiger masked ninja failed to grab the cape that flew behind her before her hands formed. “ _Ice Technique, Glacier Ice Shelf.”_ A large wall of ice erupted from the ground behind the medic and once formed Yuki jumped off the top of the wall, landing on top of the blade that was going to kill the short brown haired medic. The cold expression of the blank mask staring down at him as she stood on top of his sword. “Tsk.” 

He didn’t know how it happened. He had found the opening he needed. The medic, Rin, had her back turned to him as she tried to heal the old man of the group. He was ready to betray the team that was hired to take them safely to their destination. The young girl would just be collateral damage. His aim was to kill to the old man. 

He was ready to kill the old man and anyone who stood in his way. It was the best way to get revenge for the woman he loved. The woman that was once that old man’s daughter. The woman that he sold to some far off lord for a few bags of gold.The woman that killed herself before her wedding day. He had longed for the day he could kill him, earning the trust of the head merchant was no easy task but he had to. For her sake, for the sake of the woman he loved so dearly and lost so cruelly. 

He had sold the information to a band of bandits. _Take whatever you want, do whatever you want, just let me kill the old man._ He had told them as he paid them three sacks of gold coins. He knew that at the end of this, he would die, but he would able to take the old man with him. 

Right when his blade was about to finish the job it got caught in ice. Stuck as he tried to pull it out, his eyes widened at the giant wall of ice that appeared from nowhere. With the handle still in his hand, he tried his best to pull at it. This was the only chance he got and he would be damned if some ice stopped him. 

Then a blank masked ninja landed on top of it, and as he stared into the hollow eyes of their mask, he felt a chill run down their back. There was something terrifying and not human about the way how still they were. It brought a shiver down his spine as they quietly stared at them, almost mocking his strength.

“Rin!” He heard a male shout out for the little girl. He growled but just as he was about to take out the dagger that hung at the side of his waist he felt a cold sharp blade against his neck. The pale hand holding a sharp blade of ice against his neck didn’t even tremble as it quickly moved and formed the weapon. 

“Stay put.” The voice rang out coldly as a cold ran through him, the temperature dropping as he could see his own breath. The ice wall that was holding his sword melting quickly and as soon as he felt his sword loosen up, the little ninja jumped up into the air before turning their body to stab their hand with the sharp icicle. They ran through their hand before burying the end of it into the earth. The sword dropping on to the forest floor with a clang. 

For a blade made out of ice, it burned when it stabbed through his wrist and dug into the ground. He let out a yell and shout, there was a pain like no other as if the ice was freezing into his skin. The cold water from the melting wall that had pooled beneath him soon wrapped itself around his other hand and froze it to the ground. He saw the medic’s fearful eyes stare at him. Betrayal in those young eyes as he then turned to look at the old man who stared at him confused. 

“It was for Usagi! You killed her!” He screamed through the pain and agony. “She was ready to run away with me! Run away with a man you thought was below you and you sold her off to some old Lord! You…You are the reason she’s dead!” He wanted the old man to die, he wanted the old man to suffer. He wanted to see him regret his life choices. “Get this off me! Let me kill him.” 

“Coward.” The voice said softly as it pressed their foot against the icicle that was stabbed through his wrist. He let out a scream and tried his best to move his other hand that was incapsulated by a mound of ice. Frozen to the ground, he was unable to move as he struggled to complete his mission to kill the old man. “If you wanted to kill him, you should just kill him instead of roping other people into your mess.”

“Rin! Get out of there!” The boy with the goggles screamed. He saw one of the bandits get passed the man with the silver haired boy and aim for the medic. He felt a grin appear on his lips before he heard an annoyed sigh leave the masked ninja. Forming another hand symbol, the ninja vanished as a splash of water.Appearing behind Rin, they put one hand over her eyes, shielding her sight from what would happen. Then they extended their other hand to press against the bandit’s chest before he could bring his ax down. 

A pause as the man felt something creep onto his chest. He couldn’t move as a small hand pressed against his chest. Like time slowing down, suddenly he saw a flash of blue and white. 

“ _Demon Ice Spears._ ” Like time speeding up, out from his back came a large icicle, piercing through his entire body. Blood splattering out of his mouth, covering the blank white mask with red. The man that was alive just seconds ago now had a large glaring hole, where his chest once was, hung in mid air, dead. The glazed dead eyes that stared at them didn't seem to phase the ninja. 

Everyone froze as they saw the cold and cruel way the bandit who tried to kill Rin had died. So easily piercing through muscle and bones, like it was paper. The sharp tip of the large icicle dripping with red. Once the masked ninja clenched their hand tight, the ice melted as quickly as it was formed, the broken body of their comrade falling to the ground with a thud. Stumbling backwards, the other bandits ran as fast as they could. They prayed that the blank mask did not follow them, the image of their comrade engraved into their minds.There was something not human about the ninja that had appeared from the ice.

“Are you okay?” The blank mask asked the girl as she slowly lifted the hand away from their eyes and quickly moved to be in front of them. Their eyes saw the man trying to escape from the ice, a frightened expression in his eyes. The coward that was willing to kill those not involved in his personal vendetta. Turning their attention to the medic, she noticed the small cuts on her face.Their hand soon was covered with a green aura, moving like water before they reached out and healed the minor wounds.

“Uhmnn..” The shock in Rin’s eyes, the confused fear as her hands trembled. “Y-yes…Thank you.” She stared at the blank mask, careful with her words. She had seen death, she had seen battles before, but the way the masked ninja fought, it was so calculated, so cold. Yet, when the water touched her cheek, she felt nothing but warmth. A light pink blush appearing on her cheeks, Rin stared up at the blank mask that seemed to be so gentle despite the quick way they killed. 

“Get away from her!” The boy with the goggles quickly shouted as he began rushing towards the medic’s side, a kunai in hand. The person in front of Rin was dangerous. There was absolutely nothing human about the mysterious ninja who brought forth ice from the ground. 

“Obito!” The older blonde flickered and put a hand on top of the young boy’s shoulder before two masked figures appeared in front of them. “Rin, are you okay?” His voice was tense as he stopped the reckless boy, and once the girl nodded, he exhaled sharply through his teeth. The two older ANBU only seemed to be interested in the younger member of their team. He could feel the anger emitting from one of them. He wondered if he could grab Rin before it was too late. 

“Minato sensei! Who are they?” Obito said angrily as he looked at the two strangers that now stood between them and the blank mask that still stood in front of Rin. 

“They are ANBU from our village…” Kakashi said cooly but kept his eyes on the one with a blank mask. 

“Yokai. You interfered with someone’s mission. More than that, you involved yourself in things outside of the orders given to you. ” The one in the tiger mask said angrily and grabbed their shoulder harshly turning the masked nin around. There was a cold, almost deadly air in the air as the two masks stared at one another. “You know better…You’ll be reprimanded for this.” 

As if snapping out of her daze, Rin shook her head. “Wait! No! If it wasn’t for them, I would be dead!” Rin shouted at them, finally snapping back to reality as she broke the silence. “Please! Don’t punish them for saving my life!” 

“Stop talking.” The cold voice of the blank mask spoke before lowering their head. The more the young girl spoke, the more they’ll get in trouble for. Yuki didn’t know why she saved her, but there was something instinctual about saving a girl that looked like someone who just wanted to protect and save lives. There was a kindness in her that Yuki wanted to protect. “They won’t hesitate in killing you. So, stop talking.” 

Wincing at the cold remark, Rin stared up at the mask, her lower lip quivering at the harsh words before she saw the punch in the stomach that the captain had given to her savior. There was no sound of pain, and yet from the sound of the punch and the way the blank mask collapsed into the arms of the tiger mask, she knew that it was a painful hit. Hands quickly rising to cover her mouth, she couldn’t help but yelp at how cruel they treated their teammate. How it seemed as though the smaller ninja seemed accustomed to the abuse. 

“Yokai…you should watch that tongue of yours.” He hissed low and threw the small body to the ninja with an owl mask waiting next to him. “You were always quiet and obedient…Perhaps we have been too lax in your discipline.” 

“That’s not way to treat your teammates.” Minato said slowly as he approached them, his other two students behind him. Anger lacing his voice as he watched the way the smaller ninja slumped and was still. They were so small, they must have been around the same age as his students. “Especially one that was assisting a fellow villager.” 

“It would be best not to interfere, Minato-san.” The man with the owl mask said before he threw the blank mask’s body over his shoulder and motioned for the tiger mask to follow. “Especially not for Yokai. It’s best to just ignore what happened…and consider them a ghost. You should also kill that merchant as quickly as possible. It looks like the frostbite that Yokai had placed on him is slowly spreading and his flesh is starting to smell putrid.” With that the three ANBU vanished in a flicker of leaves. 

Silence, as Team Minato looked at the empty space where the ANBU were just moments ago. “What the hell was that?” Obito was appalled at what he had just seen. How could anyone treat a teammate in such a way. Like they weren't even equals. 

“Sensei….Do ANBU…normally treat their teammates like that?” Rin asked, her voice trembling as she recalled how painfully the blank mask was punched. She could tell that there would be internal bleeding, she could hear the cough from behind the mask. “Why…” 

“No. They don’t _normally_ treat their teammates like that.” He didn’t like how they cruel they were towards their teammate. If it wasn’t for the blank masked ninja, Rin’s life could have been truly in danger. He winced at his own failures as a leader not being more suspicious of the merchant who kept looking around the forest, as if they were waiting for the ambush.

Watching the way Yokai fought, it was quick and precise movements. The kind of movements that would be honed after numerous s-class missions. And even beyond their high skill level, their ability to analyze the battlefield and react to incoming threats, it was their style. Ice Release was an unknown technique, practically extinct, and yet there was someone with Konoha’s ANBU that not only possessed such rare skill but mastered it. He would have to speak to the Third about what he had just seen. 

“Then why…” Obito said as he looked around and helped Rin up from the ground. “That’s not…It was cruel.” 

“I don’t know…” He said quietly as he watched the ice wall that was crafted melt away. They must have kept it up to guard the eyes of the other merchants. He looked down at the old man who was barely conscious due to his wound and the shock of almost getting murdered. 

Kakashi moved to the merchant that endangered the mission as well as the lives ofhis teammates. He wanted nothing more than to kill him, and the ANBU was right about the smell of dead flesh now linger on the man. The ice was now mostly gone but the man’s hands were too far gone. “They called them Yokai. Is that a normal code name?” 

“No.” Minato said coldly as he inspected the man and the injuries that was left by the ice. The hands were too far gone, and even more than that, it seemed as if it spread throughout his arms. If they didn’t amputate, it would be a slow death. The ninja that had caused all this, that was so quick to protect Rin without any hesitation, they were small. They had to be young, and for someone so young to be walking as an ANBU, it brought a bitter taste to his mouth. There was something sinister lurking the shadows. “I think you should all keep what you saw to yourself until I tell you otherwise.” 

“Spoiled brat.” The slap rang throughout the empty hall. The blank mask was now on the ground, her cheek hot and red as she took another hit from the man who wore the tiger mask. “What? Did you think you can be a hero? You’re a demon. You’re a ghost. The only thing you’re good for is…” Raising their hand for another slap, she shut her eyes tightly and clenched her jaw

“Enough.” A slam of a cane as their leader entered the room. “It seems as though our little Yokai did something that wasn’t approved by her team leader. Tsk tsk. And here I thought you were dong so well with being an obedient little girl. But it looks like you’re getting stronger…your ice abilities are becoming more terrifying according to Iwao’s report. You’ve been holding back during training, Yokai. ” 

His hand reached out and lifted her chin so he could see the sharp glare in her blue eyes. The man with bandages and ugly eyes stared at her with an almost proud grin. It made her sick to her stomach, so she snapped her head out of his hand and winced at the pain. Her eyes moved to Iwao, the man behind the Owl mask, the man that was order to make sure she fell in line with ROOT’s teachings. He had a look of pity as he looked at her, beat up and punished for protecting their village’s ninjas. But he did nothing to help her. He never did. He had his orders. 

“Lock her into her room. Maybe some time here would do her good.” Danzo said sharply and with that she was picked up from the ground and thrown over the Iwao’s shoulder. 

“You should have just listened.” He said quietly to her as he tried his best not to touch her wounds. “You were reckless…Careless..Very unlike you. But…You looked human for once…You…You did well. Protecting that girl. It was the first time you acted like a true shinobi.” 

“I’m not a shinobi.” She winced at how painful it was to speak. The bruising around her throat from when the man behind the cat mask threw her towards Iwao after punching her stomach. “I moved and did the things I wanted to do. Nothing more.” 

“Right..” If it was anyone else, they would have thrown her onto the hard floor of the cell that they called her room but Iwao was more gentle and placed her down onto the cot slowly. She saw the change of clothes on the pitiful bed waiting for her. Grey clothes that suited a prisoner. After all, that was what she was here. When she was in the mountain, she was told to isolate and remember that she was nothing more than a dead girl that was more weapon than human.

She winced and slowly pealed off the ANBU uniform, taking off each piece and letting it fall to the floor. “Will I be able to bathe later?”With her back towards him, she stared at her bruised and battered body in the mirror. 

“Maybe. I’ll try to get you some soft foods. Some soup or..” 

“It doesn’t matter.” She said as she pealed off her shirt and saw the black and blue bruising that ran throughout her abdomen. Internal bleeding, that much she was positive, she wondered if any of her organs were damaged. Sitting down on the cot, she wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and made a summoning seal on the bed. From the smoke, a white fox jumped out and looked around before it’s dark eyes saw it’s wounded master.“Shisha.” She whispered quietly and patted the beast’s head. “Can you heal it?” 

_“Did he do it?”_ The fox asked, eyes moving to the man that had left and closed the concrete door behind him. _“I will claw out his eyes for you, master.”_ The telepathic words echoed in her head, and she shook her head. _“This is bad…You should have healed yourself earlier.”_

“I just can’t heal myself right now.” Her voice was small as she inhaled sharply through her teeth. 

_“I can heal the damage but I cannot take away the pain. It would have been better to summon Chiyu for this. But judging by your chakra level..Chiyu might have been a bit too much.”_ The fox said before moving it’s long tail over the wound, a soft blue glow appearing as it swished it’s tail back and forth. _“How did this happen?”_

Looking out the window high up above the wall, she heard the droplets of water, a leak maybe.The question went unanswered as the young girl didn’t know what to say. She just couldn’t stand the idea of another kind soul being taken. Kiko’s short life was enough. “I’m sleepy.” Eyes heavy, her breathing even heavier as she let the cooling feeling spread throughout her body. _The cold heals._ She repeated over and over in her head like a mantra. 

“ _Rest. I will finish healing you, master._ ”In moments like this, when it was just the fox and it’s master, she truly looked like a child. A child that was in pain. A child that was alone in this terrible world. A child that knew the cold all too well. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so....weak with my fight scenes....OTL. I'll have to work on that more as I continue with this fic. Next chapter will def. have more Kushina and Yuki. Yeah. You read that right. Kushina and Yuki. LOL. Their relationship becomes really special and important to me.... and you know more Kakashi scenes with Yuki.. that aren't just him interacting with a blank mask.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you have any questions, please leave a comment below! I really love writing this fic and just developing this character and her interactions with the other shinobis. Thank you to everyone leaving a comment or kudo. It really tells me that there are people that enjoy this fic and just?? it's very encouraging LOL 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Twitter: @bledstars


	5. Chapter 5

_Faster!_

He ran through the forests. The sounds of metal against metal as Rin through a series of kunais to stop the traps that were set. The heat of Obito’s fire that had created a path for them. Minato has been more strict with their training. Ever since that last mission, Minato had been adamant in making sure they were faster, better, stronger, that they would be able to handle the next mission. New drills, new training sessions, it left them all breathless and tired. But they knew why. They knew that they couldn’t allow for something like that to happen again.

But the most frustrating thing was that they knew that they were still far behind whoever the person behind the blank mask was. They knew that they weren’t even close. Kakashi felt it when he was frustrated at not being able to keep up with the mysterious ANBU. He recalled the quick and speedy way the Ice Release ANBU worked. Without any regard for human life, they simply did what they had to do, their speed was blinding.

How quickly they crafted a giant wall of ice, to the giant ice that speared through the bandit.The speed in which they worked and it wasn't even just as someone who can attack. They moved like they weren’t surprised by their opponent’s next move, rather anticipated and were already a step ahead. And according to Rin, the way they healed, it was nothing like she ever experienced, it was cold but quick. Precise even for a surface wound. They absolute speed in which they worked, it was blinding and he was still when he watched them attack with such ease. 

_Faster!_

She felt a punch hit her in the guts. Eye widening at the feeling, she felt bile rise in the back of her throat as she flew across the room. Slamming into the wall, she let out a yelp of pain like a wounded animal but saw her opponent draw closer. Get up. She told body that was screaming in pain. She ignored the ringing in her ear, she ignored the lightheadedness. She had to keep fighting. 

“You’re distracted Yokai.” The man said as he cracked his knuckles and his neck. He was three times her size. Blue eyes staring up sharply, she spat out the blood that accumulated in her mouth to the side and quickly marked it with a finger before getting up from the ground. Wincing at the new bruise that must be forming under her ribcage. “Taijutsu was always your weakest point. You can’t rely on your chakra all the time, brat.” 

She needed more time. Putting her hands up quickly. her breathing was heavy before she jumped up once he aimed to punch her again. Flying in the air, she wrapped her legs around his neck, but she felt his hand reach around her ankle and bring her back down to the ground hard.She rolled away as fast as she could, grimacing at the sharp pains throughout her body. They were punishing her for her last mission. Making a point with the chakra suppressing cuffs they put on her, hissing as she wiped the corner of her lip once more. She got back to her feet and went back to dodging the punches and kicks being thrown at her. 

_Faster!_

They both screamed to their bodies as they fought. They were soldiers. They were fighters. They were weapons.

He had a team that had his back. He understood that he didn't have to be alone. He fought as a unit, using the skills of his teammates, their extra hands, eyes, feet, they became more in sync, more compatible with the other’s fighting style. Flying through the forest, silver hair quickly darting through, he set his kunai on the neck of the clone that his sensei had created. 

She was alone. She would always be alone. There would be no one to look for her after she died, if she failed a mission. She was a ghost. “ _Yoru._ ” Yuki said low before pressing her hand against and soon the sign she had created prior to her attack glowed a dark blue from behind her as she completed the final symbol before jumping out of the way when a black panther jumped out and jumped up on top of the man. Teeth snarling at the man’s neck, she got to her feet and simply looked down. 

“I think it’s time for a break.” A voice called out and they stopped in their tracks to see Kushina coming in with a basket of food. His mind still trying to work around their last mission. Where it went wrong and if they were in a situation like that again, would they be able to survive it? 

Minato smiled at his wife before he leaned down and kissed her cheek. “You didn’t have to come all the way here.”

“Well what else am I supposed to do? And you’re working these kids to the bone.” 

“It’s fine Kushina-san. We…We really need the extra training.” Rin said as tried to catch her breath and wiped the sweat from her brow. She bowed with a thanks and quickly took the sandwich that was handed to her by the older woman. 

“I heard your last mission didn’t go as planned.” Kushina’s voice was soft as she kept continuing to hand out the food. Minato let out a sigh before taking another bite of his food. 

“Well We had…an encounter that was…” Obito started before he sat down on the grass with his own food and let out a sigh. “Are we allowed to tell her, Sensei?” 

“The Ice release user? Yeah…Minato told me…He said it was his first time encountering someone with that ability as well.” 

“It’s a kekkei genkai, isn’t it?” 

“Similar to the First’s wood release. It’s when someone is able to release and combine both water and wind.” Kakashi said as he took a bite of the food. He had spent days in the library trying to understand the kekkei genkai, only to come up with a small blurb about it. 

“Origins say it’s from Water Country. But there’s not much information on it…That person might be one of the few left that can use that ability…From the information that we have…It seemed more like a myth..something people in water country would use to warn their children of the dangers that lurked in the dark.” Minato took off his jacket to put on top of the rock before gesturing for Kushina to take a seat. 

“And they had a blank mask. I never heard of an ANBU operative having a blank mask before…And even more than that..They were in our village’s ANBU team.” 

“Can you really call that a team, Rin?” Obito asked bitterly as he recalled how terribly the blank ninja was treated. How brutally they were reprimanded for even helping someone from the same village. How they were treated like a tool and not a human being. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was what all ANBU operatives were like. Was it simply the culture of those that work in the dark, taking on missions that were sealed quickly. “No teammate would ever treat someone like that.”

She was finally released from the cave. Shisha followed behind her and watched the way it’s master stumbled through the forest, gripping at her waist. She could have stayed one more day to rest but she hated the cave. She hated the smell of death that never left. She hated being there in murky room that was meant to cage her at all costs. 

They didn’t see her as a human being much less a child. They saw her as a weapon. A blade that they thought was so easy to wield.Every time she used her abilities to complete a mission, another assignment that required there to be no murder weapon on the scene, a quiet assassination. What better than a blade of ice so sharp, so strong that it easily slid through skin and bone. And in a matter of moments, it would be nothing but water and air

If only they knew that her clan were not killers. _They were healers first, fighters second, but most importantly a guardian._ She repeated those words to herself every time she had to take on a mission. And her duty was to her people, to the people that hid throughout the regions. If he was able to find her, he would be able to find anyone. She learned it when he started giving her names and locations of those that had left the mountain. Some assimilated and hid in plain sight, others were not as lucky. Far too many gravestones, far too many missed chances. 

_“Master..I can’t heal these wounds. Your chakra is too low…I fear that…”_

“it’s fine, Shisha. I just need to get…” The word died on her lips as she collapsed onto the ground. The snow barely cushioning the fall as her head hit the ground. Her body felt too hot. Her body felt too broken. Her body felt too tired. 

“ _Master!”_ The fox quickly nuzzled it’s noes against her pale and face before it looked around. Their home was nearby but there was no hope in getting her there. “ _Master please wake up.”_ A soft groan as she clenched at her chest and let out a cough. Crimson red coating the green grass. She would not be able to move on her own and if those demons that did this to it’s master found her, they would drag her back to the cave. The fox’s ears searched for any sound of help before it caught a familiar scent nearby. “ _The silver haired one.”_ It quickly ran through the forest and found him eating with others. 

Not caring for the repercussions , it quickly bit down on the boy’s pants and dragged at it, trying to pull him towards his weak master. He didn’t know what would happen but it’s master trusted this boy enough to let him pet him which was enough for Shisha. 

“What the—Is that a fox?” Obito said as it jumped at the sight of the white fox that was pulling at Kakashi’s clothes. 

“Shisha?”The silver haired boy said with a bit of shock. “Hey. Stop that! What’s going on with you? Stop doing that!” 

“Shisha? You know that fox, Kakashi?” Kushina asked with a small frown as they began cleaning up their things. “It looks frightened.” Another yap as the fox began pulling at the boy’s clothes again, a sense of desperation in the small animal. 

“It’s Yuna’s fox. It normally doesn't act this way…It’s usually so calm. ” The fox yapped and Kakashi tilted his head before his eye widened. “Wait..Why are you alone?” He asked before getting up quickly.

“Yuna? Isn’t that the name of the shrine maiden?”

“Wait…the one we met at the market?” Kushina now got to her feet as she quickly tossed the things to Minato. “Is she in trouble?!” 

Relief would be the expression the fox showed once it seemed as though the group understood what was going on. The fox quickly turned around and gestured for it to follow them and quickly the group ran behind the fox through the forest. 

“Little thing is fast.” Obito said with a wince as another branch hit him before he saw a figure in the distance “Is that—?” Kakashi’s jaw tightened as he quickened his speed to get to her side as fast as he could. She looked like a broken doll abandoned in the forest. _What happened to her? How did this happen to her?_ He couldn't help but wonder. The world of the Shrine Maidens was unknown to most Shinobis. Skilled with a different set of skills. But it was an open secret that they were just two sides of the same coin.

“Yuna-chan!” Kushina said quickly and ran to the girl’s side along with Kakashi. Eyes widening in shock ,she took note of the deep purple bruise that ran down from her chin to her neck. Then there was her broken lip, pale and coated in red blood. There was a bruise on her cheekbone, right under her eye. Putting a gentle hand on top of her forehead, Kushina felt the high fever that ran through her entire body. “Rin!” 

The medic quickly dropped to her knees to check on the extent of damage and noticed that the bruising continued down the girl’s back and chest. There was cuts on the exposed part of her legs. “What happened to her?” The girl whispered quietly. She had never seen so many injuries on a single person, the deep almost black bruising that coated the girl’s pale skin. Not just on a civilian, but even on a shinobi. The girl looked like she was beat to the brink of death. 

“Yuna-chan…Yuna-chan can you hear me?” A gentle voice called out to her and a swollen eye opened up to see the red haired woman with the chakra that felt familiar to her look down at her with worry. 

“Y-yes.” A broken voice responded and quickly their eyes began fluttering shut. 

“Stay awake for me, Yuna-chan. We are gonna take you to the hospital.” 

“N-No.” The voice broke out, a quick hand gripping the woman’s sleeve. “Can’t…” 

“What do you mean you can’t. Look at you!”

“I’m a shrine maiden.” 

“What does that have to do with anything!?” Kushina was worried sick over the state of the girl who looked like she was going to close her eyes and never wake up. 

“They don’t have the…They cannot just visit the village as they wish. They need a pass...or a permit.” Minato said calmly, a cool anger seeping through him. He watched as the fox pressed it’s nose against the top of the girl’s forehead. Watched the shallow breaths she took to try to stay awake. 

“What do you mean by that, Sensei?” 

“They don’t belong to a village, that’s why they are allowed to travel to other countries easily. That’s why they are allowed to help anyone with a hitae. They have no affiliation to a single village…But due to that reason…unless they have a pass to enter or stay on a shrine’s property, they aren’t able to travel through villages freely. It would be a security risk to allow someone that can travel so easily to come and go as they please. They have no citizenship because there is no record of them..normally are orphans that do not have a family name or cannot remember it…”

“Then what are we supposed to do?”

“Do you live near here?” Kakashi finally asked as he looked at both the fox and the girl. Blue eyes lifting to look at his onyx orbs. “Rin should be able to heal any of the major wounds and we just need to get her fever down. Right?” 

“Shisha.” A broken voice called out and the fox looked at the tired expression on their master’s face. The fox understood the order quickly and looked up at the group that surrounded it’s master before giving it an affirmative yap. 

“Kushina..let me take her. I’ll carry her to wherever we need to go.” 

“Okay.” Kushina said quietly as she watched Minato slip his arms under the girl and frown deeply at how light she was. Letting out a pained yelp, he whispered a quiet apology to the young girl. “She must be in so much pain.” The woman felt her heart break as she watched the way the girl gasped and held back another sound of pain. 

“Quickly, let’s go.” Getting to their feet, they followed behind the fox through the forest. The worried gaze of both of the older shinobis as they looked down and checked on her. Minato being careful not to make too many movements that could accidentally hurt the girl. Approaching a clearing where a frozen waterfall stood, Kakashi’s brow knitted.

‘ _This is the clearing where I first met her…’_ he thought quietly to himself and watched the fox jump across the small rock path that went across the river. Before it walked down a narrow path at the base of the cliff where the waterfall fell. As they turned to the other side of the cliff, there was a small house that floated over the river. Shaped like a teahouse, with a balcony that wrapped around it, the house blended in with the forest and rocks. It was an old but a well kept home. Hidden away from any prying eyes. “You live here?” He asked the girl that was trying her best to stay awake and simply responded with a slow nod. 

“It’s quite far from the shrine…”Obito said while noting the small garden, the fishing pole that was on the balcony. “You live here alone?” 

“Yes.” She responded quietly before she let out a whimper when Minato jumped up to the balcony and towards the opened door. 

“I’m sorry. We’re here now.” He whispered quietly to her. When they entered the small house, it was as simple inside as it was outside. Smaller than a studio apartment in the village, he saw the small kitchen, the opened door where the bathroom was, and an empty living area with a tatami mat. The most notable feature of the home was a large window with a nook that seemed to be where she must stay the most. A quilt thrown over a few cushions, a small stack of books on the floor. Neat and clean, it didn't look like a child lived there. Everything was practical, almost empty of any personal belongings. There were no pictures of anyone in the home, it seemed more like a guest house than someone’s home.

He quickly slid off his shoes and followed behind his wife who was already at work trying to find something to bring down the fever. “We need to lay her down.” Kushina ordered quickly as she rushed to the kitchen and began looking through the cupboards for a bowl and some towels. “Obito and Kakashi help Minato put her down safely, Rin..You are the medic. 

Shisha quickly guided the boys to the closet by the window. Kakashi opened the doors and saw a futon, a winter blanket, a pillow and a small folding table. Again, nothing that gave any information to the person residing in these walls. Taking out the futon, they quickly set down the bedding down onto where the tatami floors were. Laying down the girl on the mat, Minato took a step back before guiding the boys to follow and let Rin have the space she needed. 

“She lives here all alone?” Obito asked before Kakashi turned to look over his shoulder. Rin had cut through the girl’s top and underneath there were more bruising. Black, blue, purple, all raw as they covered the girl’s skin. “How in the hell does a shrine maiden get those kind of wounds?” 

Rin let out a single gasp before she shook her head. This wasn’t a time to get emotional, this girl needed her help. Kushina rushed over to the other side and placed a cold towel over the girl’s forehead. “Minato. Go and make some food that she can eat…maybe some porridge..a soup of some kind. She has nothing in her fridge. Obito, I want you to get some fever medication. Kakashi I need you to go with him to get some bandages.” 

“Her chakra…” Rin noted quietly before looking up to Kushina. Now that it was just the girls, Kushina quickly tore the rest of the girl’s top away and winced at the state of the bruising across her body.”It’s…very low…Chakra exhaustion…She’s been…Her body has been through..torturous amounts of pain, Kushina-san. Months of pain. ” 

Kushina quickly put the towel back into the bowl of ice water before putting it back on the girl’s forehead. “We can’t do much about that..but the bruising…is there any internal bleeding? It’s…everywhere.” 

But there was something else that Kushina noticed. Something that the others wouldn’t have. Her chakra was heavy. As Kushina reached out to it, it was different from the others. She noticed how dense it was, controlled to a point where some may not be able to sense it. How was a small child like her able to hold such heavy chakra. Chakra she only knew to be in those that were either jinchuriki or future vessels. This girl…held old chakra in her. Chakra that did not fully belong to her. 

Kushina noted the way the fox stared at them, ready to attack if it thought that they weren’t going to help it’s master. “We will make sure she gets better.” A quiet nod but the fox did not stand down, instead it curled up next to it’s master’s head and watched them quietly. 

When the boys had come back with food and supplies, Rin took the bandages and medication. Crushing the pills into a powder, she put them into he food before stirring it. “How is she?” Obito asked as they looked at Kushina cover the girl with another blanket. 

“I was able to heal most of the bruising. I mean…they were so bad…They were everywhere…She’s shouldn’t have been able to stand much less walk that deep into the forest. Her fever is slowly going down but it’s not going down fast enough.” Rin said quietly before she looked over at Kakashi who stared at her. “Sensei…How could this happen to her?” 

“She was probably paid.” Minato said cooly before he turned his gaze to his teammates. “That’s how shrine maidens get money. There are tiers of assignments. Sort of like how Shinobi get missions…they get assignments.” 

“What sort of assignment…” Obito hissed through his teeth. “What kind of shit is that?” 

“Not everyone in this world is good, Obito. Not everyone is kind.” Minato started as he leaned against the counter. “They are considered roaming healers. They get taught medical ninjutsu. They get trained in making antidotes and doing works in regards to cleansing and blessings. Butthere are also other assignments. They would pay more, but…” 

“Nobles that like to beat up children.” Kakashi said simply, arms crossing as he leaned against the wall. “They pay them so that they can get their anger and frustrations out.” 

“Why the hell would they need to take up…” 

“They have a debt. The moment the shrine takes them in, they have a debt to pay. For housing, for food, for being able to live…They are nameless children that come in without even a way to work or travel through the lands safely. If they work it off…then they can apply for a citizenship in a village and become a civilian there.” Minato explained quietly. “Some assignments are permanent too. Political marriages that are created between a maiden and a nobleman are common. It doesn’t even have to be politcal, it can simply because they like the maiden. They all have tiers in which they operate. The more difficult, the more money.” 

“And the villages allow this?” 

“The village gets money from them.” Kakashi replied simply. “The village gets a certain portion of the nearby shrine’s income and of course the cost of permits to enter a village and leave a village…they all cost money. A necessary evil of the Shrine.” Ever since he met her, he started reading more about the shrine and the more he learned, the more confused he became at the system. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like it at all.

“So, what you’re saying…is that she took on an assignment that probably caused her to be like that? The village allows for such…” 

“Seduction missions are no different..neither are assassinations. Shinobis…Shrine maidens…all we are trying to do is survive.” 

“You should all go back to the village. You have a mission tomorrow right?” Kushina said as she finally left the girl’s side before looking over her shoulder. “I’ll stay here.” 

“Kushina, I can stay.” 

“Minato, you need your rest. So do your students. I’m going to stay here and make sure she eats and that her fever breaks. I’ll be fine here. It’s surprisingly…nice here. Quiet…I just want to make sure she’s okay. I want to make sure she has someone next to her.” 

It was then that Kakashi noticed how warm this entire house was. There was no fire roaring, or any obvious insulation and yet the cold air did not come inside. It was peaceful here, a quiet that he hadn’t experienced before. It almost made him want to let his guard down. He looked down at the white fox that slept next to the girl’s head. Protective as always He thought quietly before he saw the wounds and bruises that started to fade thanks to Rin. 

As she woke up from her slumber, she noted the pain that shot through her body. More numb than it was before, she slowly sat up and felt the plot of the towel that was on her head. She looked down to see it, a bit lightheaded from sitting up. “Huh?” She then heard the footsteps of someone else and she turned her head sharply, wincing and groaning in pain before she fell back onto her pillow.

“It’s just me.” A calm voice said softly before coming back to her side with a fresh bowl of water. “Kushina. Do you remember? Your fever is finally going down but it’s still pretty high. Can you sit up again to try to eat something?” 

Opening up her eyes slowly, she saw a red haired woman smiling at her gently before she helped her back up. Putting a pillow behind her back so that she could lean back against the wall. “Let me get your food.” 

“Shisha.” The white fox quickly curled in it’s master’s lap before giving her hand a tentative lick. “What happened?” 

_“Summoning Yoru when you were already so weak…It did a number to your body…You could have died Yuki-sama. I was able to find the silver haired boy and his team…they have been taking care of you. Especially that red haired woman...she has been here the entire time. She even changed you because you were running too hot and kept sweating. She...she has been kind. ”_

“Why?”

“Why what?” The soft voice returned to her side and soon her head turned to look at the woman beside her who had began stirring the bowl of porridge. 

“Why did you help me?” Her voice was cold but not cruel. It was out of both curiosity and of concern for her own wellbeing. As if the idea that someone would care about her injuries would exist.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Her head angled to the side, as if her question was strange in itself. Lifting a spoonful of the food, she blew on it softly before motioning for her take a bite. “Minato made this. He’s really good at making food that warms up your entire body. Please try to eat some.” 

Looking at the food, her blue eyes lifted to look at the kind eyes that looked back at her before opening her mouth and taking the spoon her mouth. Chewing slowly, she didn’t taste anything really but the slight bitterness of the medication they must have mixed in with the food. “I didn’t have anything in my fridge.” 

“We made it from home. You really should stock up your fridge properly.” 

“I haven’t been home in a while…”She whispered quietly before opening her mouth again to take in another spoonful. 

“Yuna-chan…Why did you take on an assignment that you knew would hurt you?” 

The girl stopped chewing. This woman knew about the system within the Shrine system. That was why she was assigned here. It would make sure that any questions of any injuries could be blamed on a bad assignment. One where nobles took out their frustrations on innocent children. Where they were looked more like dolls to abuse rather than human beings. She could not tell this woman that held a similar ancient power as she did that she was not just a shrine maiden. That these marks were from the cave not from some noble’s home. She could not say anything. “I needed the money. It would be far more than if I did twenty smaller assignments…I just…I just needed the money.” 

“Yuna-chan…” 

“Why do shinobis take on missions? They are orders. These were my orders.” She whispered quietly before she stared at the bowl of food and took it into her own hands and began eating it slowly. 

“Yuna-chan…Did you need it to get a permit into the Leaf? I saw the paperwork on your table.” 

“Permits cost a lot of money.” 

“Is there any reason you need it so soon?” 

“The grandmother…that sells yuzu…She wanted to see me again. She remembered me…She’s alone too.” The young girl said quietly as took another bite of food. “She is always kind to me…I want to be able to help her.” Not a complete lie. She had sensed the woman was struggling to keep up with her work. While business was not doing terribly, she looked like she needed help. The grandmother was always kind to her, always fondly looking at her while she picked out her food, always giving her something for free. The grandmother was never…cruel. 

“So you are doing all this work…all of this pain..so you can help a grandmother?” 

“Yes.” 

“You’re a warm hearted girl, aren’t you?” The softness in her voice made her lift her head and look into the soft gaze of the woman beside her. She had never been called warm-hearted before. She was never considered warm. Just cold. It felt strange at how nice it felt to be called warm hearted.

“You are the same.” 

“Hmn?” 

Swallowing slowly, she lowered her spoon and stared at the now empty bowl. “You helped me even though you barely know me. You stayed here…even though you had no obligation. You…” 

“I have my own selfish reasons.” 

“Selfish reasons?” 

“I like you.” The woman said with a warmth that spread throughout her entire body. “I like the feeling I get from you.”

“That doesn’t sound very selfish. I’d still owe you for all of this…For helping me…For…staying…Not many would do this for me.” 

“Hmmn it looks like I can’t talk you out of that one judging by the sound of your voice.” Pursing her lips, she smiled a bit before tucking a piece of the girl’s black hair behind her ear. “Then how about this…You become my student.” 

She looked up at Kushina, eyes widening and curious at the proposal. “You want me to be your student? Why? That doesn’t make sense…” 

“I always wanted someone I can mentor..and I think I know your secret, Yuna-chan.” A soft whisper as she lowered her hand and looked at her seriously. The young girl felt trapped, she felt frozen, she wondered what on earth the woman could know about her. Did she know about the cave? Did she know about the blood that she had to take? Did she know who she really was?

“You have an old chakra in you…Something….bigger…greater..than yourself. It’s heavy…and sometimes it feels like you’re fighting against yourself but even when you’re scared of it..you…aren’t really scared of it..are you?” 

The cold. She knew about the cold. The cold that lived inside her veins. The cold that demanded her to live. The cold that she was to guard and protect. Blue eyes stared at her quietly before she nodded.

“Then you’re my perfect student. Only someone like me…can possibly understand what it means to have chakra like mine. You…You’ll be my student then and once you’re my student I will be your sponsor and mentor…That way you can visit that grandmother as much as you’d like and take care of her as you wanted.” 

“This doesn’t sound like a favor…It still sounds like you’re trying to help me.” 

“Then you’ll just have to owe me one in the future.” The softness in the woman’s gaze as she put a hand on top of her head. “Now it’s time for my student to rest.” 

_My student._ There was a comfort in hearing that word. She never had a teacher. She only had trainers. She only had those that would beat her until she got faster. She only had those that would sharpen her so they could wield the Yokai in their hands. She never had a teacher that looked like they cared. “Yes… Kushina Shishou.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally updating this after deleting this chapter like five times and trying to figure it all out. By the way the Shrine system is nothing like the Shinto Shrine system and has no correlation to it. I do not want to insult anyone by creating this second institution. 
> 
> Yuki becoming Kushina's student because they both have old chakra is everything and more. And Kushina really has big sister/motherly vibes that Yuki is starved for. 
> 
> And thank you to like the...fifteen of you?? maybe?? that read this story. I hope enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you think and If you have any questions please let me know. 
> 
> Twitter@bledstars


	6. Chapter 6

Time felt slower in the cold. Every second, every minute, every hour, it could be felt deep in her bones. Like sinking under a frozen pond, it clenched at her chest, squeezing her lungs as she fought. She felt pins and needles in her limbs, tingling as she took in another breath. The cold lived inside of her, reminding her of who she was. A vessel for the cold, the whispers of her ancestors protecting her as she took glided across the field. Her fingers lightly touching the ground as she balanced herself. She felt the cold itch at her fingertips but resisted the urge to release. She couldn’t show them too much. She couldn’t allow them to know the who she was.

She was reminded of when she informed Danzo of her accepting Kushina’s offer to be her teacher. Her cheek felt hot as she was called a fool by the one that wore the Tiger mask after he slapped her. The strike was loud and sharp as it resounded across the room. 

_Foolish_. She should not have accepted Kushina’s offer. She knew better. She should not have allowed herself to be so weak in front of someone that basked in the light of the world. Her ears were ringing as she felt the heat against her cheek. But she wanted to. She wanted to accept a warmth that she had not felt in such a long time. She wanted to be weak. 

She knew the risk she was taking on by accepting her warm hand. But how could she resist? How long had it been since someone cared about her wellbeing much less teach her. She was taught for a few years after the cold had chosen her. By the previous Yuki, to understand and tap into the spirits of their ancestors. Then by her parents, whose faces grew less clear as the years went by. Her mother taught her to summon the creatures that would be her only companion and friends. The ones that would teach her how to manipulate the wind and water, to sharpen the skills that were in her to master the cold. Her father taught her how to wield the ice in her hand like a blade, to be sharp, to be quick. 

But she only had a few years with them. She only had so much time until they were taken from her. And as she looked at the man who was covered in eyes that did not belong to him, she knew she made the right choice. 

Danzo was watching her from his seat, quiet and still. Wondering what his weapon was doing, what this child from the ice was plotting. But she stood quietly before she lifted her gaze slowly. “I’ve been told that she is a master of Taijutsu. Something I am constantly being told I am weak at. And there is no one willing to teach me here.” Quiet as she may be, as small as she may be, when she spoke, she still commanded attention. There was something hauntingly ancient about the way she held herself. Something that ran a chill down the spine of the other shinobi around her. 

She knew that they were afraid of her. Afraid of her abilities, afraid of their minds being broken like their companions when they went out to look for her. They were afraid of her because they did not understand her. These people who lurked in the shadows knew how to be cold but never understood it. 

Her jaw tightened before she straightened her shoulders and ignored the hot burn against her cheek. “I will not show her everything. I will not reveal…” 

“Of course you won’t. Having two people with the rare Ice Release ability would be too far fetched. They would know you were Yokai in an instant. If they don’t already suspect it.” Danzo said with a frown before he slowly walked towards the girl and lifted her chin. The dull look in her blue eyes looked past him. As if he was not there, as if she was not there. “I expect reports on what you learn.” 

He wanted her to spy on her. The woman married to the man that may become the next leader of this village. He wanted her to get closer to the woman with chakra as old as hers. It brought a bitter taste to her mouth. “No. I will also not betray her.” She did not care about the beatings. She did not care if he found it insubordinate.

“Excuse me? Why would you think I’d ask that from you.” 

“Because I know you.” And there she was, back in front of him, the girl from the cold. The one that he searched for. The weapon crafted where no other could survive. Her blue eyes that were glazed over now looking at him with a sharpness. She saw him as a monster and he did notblame her. 

But what he did not know was how she wanted to protect Kushina from the darkness that lurked in her own village. She did not know how to explain it but the cold felt protective over the chakra that the red haired woman possessed. She could feel in in her veins, how it yearned to protect her. She felt the cold’s calling and would not ignore it. Just as she had a duty to her people, to her clan, she had a duty to this woman. The kind woman who stayed by her side. The woman with chakra that felt heavy like hers. The woman that the cold felt a companionship with. “I will not betray her. I will not be your spy regarding her, her husband, or his team.” 

She heard the whispers of protests. Who was she to deny a request that wasn’t spoken but still demanded. Fists clenching tightly, her nails digging into her palm as she breathed out slowly.

“You cannot put a seal on me. You’ve tried. The cold denies your poisonous chakra.” She knew that he had a different chain around her neck. He had her family. Name, locations, her clan that she was born to protect. But the cold commanded for Kushina’s protection, thus she will provide it. “I can reveal everything or…you can take this….and you can increase my quota of missions. They can be kill missions…as long as you don’t touch her….I’ll accept them.” 

The booming and dark laugh that left Danzo as he watched the young girl struggle as she crafted the deal with him. It wasn’t like she ever denied a mission before but it was interesting to see her offer herself up. Soon she’d forget that she was human, soon she would be as cold and empty as the ice that resided inside of her. He wanted his weapon, not this human vessel that it was situated in. 

He patted her head and when she tried to move away, he grabbed her face with one hand and gave her a devilish grin. “We both know that you are far from normal, Yokai.” He looked over his shoulder and motioned for Iwao to come out from the shadows. “As long as she does not disrupt your duties as both Yuna and Yokai, I see no reason that you shouldn’t be allowed to interact with them. But Iwao will keep on eye on you. If he reports that you are slipping any information regarding ROOT, about your situation as Yokai…He will have his own orders and you will have consequences for your actions. Is that understood, little girl.” 

“I understand.” 

Blue eyes blinking open as she moved a hand quickly to craft a whip of water to block the stream of shurikens flying her way. She looked at the bright smile on Kushina’s lips from across the field. “Don’t be distracted,Yuna-chan!” Her voice rang out with a sense of joy. It was contagious to the point that even Yuki, for the first time, enjoyed training. Training with Kushina didn’t mean countless beatings. It wasn’t a means to sharpen her skills to go for the kill. Kushina was teaching her how to protect herself. 

This didn’t make the urge to use her full strength easy. She wanted to show Kushina what she could do. Whether that be a sense of pride or wanting to be praised. She wanted to show how fast she could be, she wanted to show her everything, but she held it all back as she bit the inside of her mouth. She was Yokai, the cold and sharp weapon within ROOT. She was Yuki, the guardian of the cold. But with Kushina, her Shishou, she was Yuna, her student.

With Kushina’s affinity to water and wind as well as the heavy chakra that resided in her, Yuki half wondered if her shishou was a descendant from her clan. If not for her bright red hair, the young girl would have believed that she was one of her own. The corners of Kushina’s lips lifted as the black haired girl dodged another water clone flying towards her. Twisting her body away, she held the heavy metal kunai tightly in her hand before tossing it in the air and flickering above the clone before she slammed her foot against the clone’s back. All that was left was a puddle of water and she landed with the Kunai on the ground. 

The cold called out again to be used but as she resisted the temptation. Breathing out, she saw her own breath form white clouds leave her mouth. With that, she knew that she was at her limit of being able to keep the cold under check. 

The weight of the weapon felt strange in her hands still. Usually crafting her own out of ice, she missed the lightweight feeling of an icicle in her hand. Slowly breathing out, she heard something from behind her and quickly threw the kunai towards the sound. One hand moved to grab another blade from the strap on her leg before throwing it and making the proper hands signs. The velocity of the second blade increased, the wind energy slicing through the air before it was stopped by a wall of wind. 

Blue eyes widening at the swiftness in which her second blade was blocked, but as the wind subsided, she saw Minato’s smiling face. One hand twirling the first kunai she had thrown at him. Straightening up, she wiped the tip of her nose before giving a low bow. The warm laughter from the man that was able to get her a pass into the village echoed across the training field. 

It was her first time on one of the village’s training ground. Kushina had said she should work on not being in her element and thus away from a body of water. It had been only a few months since she started working with the red head and she could already tell that she had been improving, even if she wasn't allowed to use every ability she had. Her blue eyes darted to the side where she saw a shadow move and vanish. Iwao knew better than to lurk when two high leveled shinobi were around her. He would ask for a report later. 

“The first one was a distraction.” Kakashi said quietly from behind with the rest of his teammates. At first they were curious as to how a shrine maiden would move, but when they watched her speed, the accuracy, the way she countered and reacted to every attack.It was more than surprising to see a non-shinobi fight so well. Maybe even better than them. Rin gave her a small wave and a smile while Obito was still trying to process everything. Yuna, a shrine maiden looked like someone with combat experience. Someone that would have been taking A level missions from the Hokage and judging by the looks on both Minato and Kakashi's face, they were thinking the same thing. 

This girl was not normal.

“A distraction?” Rin asked with a curious gaze as Kushina rushed from across the field with a proud smile on her lips. “What do you mean by that?” 

“When her opponent is reacting to the first kunai, she put more speed into the second one. Added a wind jutsu…Anyone who wasn't as fast as Minato Sensei would have been hit by it.” Kakashi said as he recalled the speed in which the kunai flew. It almost looked like it teleported in a flash. 

“Which one did you use, Yuna-Chan?” Minato asked with an amused smile as he looked at the shattered pieces of the second kunai. The velocity and speed in which she channeled through the metal seemed to have shattered the blade. The energy of the chakra must have been more than the amount of speed that the mass could take in, thus the broken pieces. Obito stared at them and then back at the girl before him. Her black hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore the basic shinobi outfit that Kushina must have given her. She looked to be around their age but her abilities were far past their’s. Maybe even Kakashi’s who was their generation’s genius. 

She pressed her tongue to the inside of her cheek as she looked away from the gazes. She was still not used to being stared at without having to fear of being hit. Kushina handed the girl some water and she took with a gracious nod of her head before taking a small sip. “Uhmn. Wind Technique: Polar Winds. It changed the speed of the air current around the blade as I threw it… Then I made the metal itself weightless with a different one before it reached a certain velocity.” She was actually disappointed at how slow it was. Compared to her ice, the metal still had a weight to it that made created a resistance as the blade sliced through the air. 

“You did two?” Rin asked in awe as she looked at the young girl who slowly nodded. “You’re hand movements were so fast but I didn’t know you were able to do two in that time frame!” 

She couldn’t help but wince at the compliment .She was not fast, the world was just slow. But more or less she was worried that she wondered if she revealed too much. Her brows knitted and as she got lost in her own thoughts, she felt a pat on her head. Looking up, she looked Kushina’s proud grin before she huffed and looked at Minato. “You almost got cut by my student. How are you going to be Hokage if you can’t even defend the village properly.” 

“Ahh Kushina…I guess I’m a bit tired from the last mission.” The sheepish smile on his lips as his wife scolded and teased him. He handed the girl the first kunai. “Her reaction times are better than the last time I saw her.” He noted before he got an elbow in his stomach. 

“I’m just that great of a teacher, Minato. And Yuna-Chan is a great student. She absorbs everything I teach her so quickly. It’s really easy when I don’t have a brat like Obito as a student.” 

“Hey!” The dark haired boy pouted. 

The red haired woman smiled brightly before ruffling the girl’s dark hair. “You did well, Yuna-chan. Minato is right, you’ve gotten faster.” 

At first, she would flinch and move away from the hand. But the young girl quickly noted the hurt expression on the older woman’s face and quickly got used to the friendly touch. Her cheeks heating up slightly, she felt proud when Kushina patted her head like this. It warmed her heart. 

“Can you do that again?” Turning her head, she looked at the silver haired boy who motioned to her hands. “Doing two at that speed. Can I see it again?”

Lowering the water from her lips, she slowly nodded before handing him the blade that Minato had given her. She tossed the water container it a few times in the air, getting used to the weight of the bamboo flask before she threw it across the field. Her hand quickly grabbed the kunai from Kakashi’s hand. Both hands quickly doing the hand signs before she threw the blade after the container, the other hand shifting to finish the first technique before her fingers moved to the second. Soon the blade pierced into the tree, the container of water hitting the back of the weapon despite being thrown first and falling to the ground. 

“And here I thought you were going to ruin my water bottle.” Kushina teased before she whistled at the clean way the blade stuck into the tree. “Your strength is also improving.” 

Her increased speed could be accredited to her not holding back as much, but the strength was truly Kushina’s teachings. She had gotten used to channeling her chakra to her hands and with the wind nature, she was able to let her strength stretch out. 

“So you start with one hand and then before you finish the first with the other, you start the next one?” Kakashi whispered as he looked at her fingers intently. “Wait..”He reached out and grabbed her hand, a furrow in his brow. “Why are you fingers turning blue?” 

She winced at the sudden touch and before she could pull back, he motioned for Rin to come closer and she quickly took the hand into hers. “Your hands are freezing. You should be wearing gloves.” The concerned voice of the young girl as she lightly surrounded her hands with a light green healing jitsu. 

How was she supposed to explain that her fingers were turning blue from the ice that wasn’t being used. That she could feel the frost build up inside of her, coating the inside of her body. She hissed through her teeth and tried to pull back her hand from the medical nin. 

“Are you trying to lose your fingers!? Stay still! You’re as bad as the boys!” Rin reprimanded with a frown. She glared up at the other girl, and Yuki felt her cheeks flush at being reprimanded by a girl her age. Yuki was always surrounded by people who were older than her. People who always wanted something from her. But around Rin, she was just a girl that needed help. And Yuki didn't really know how to react. 

“That’s mean. I’m not as bad as them…” She said with a pout and they all lifted their head to see the rare cute expression that made the girl look her age. 

A lighthearted giggle as Rin shook her head and a light green glow surrounded her hands. “You should wear gloves especially with the cold season approaching.” 

“I would hardly call it cold.” 

“It’s cold.” Kakashi said with a frown recalling how cold her body when they found her unconscious and broken. She was so small, and while she may be fast, she was still human.

“It really isn’t that cold.” 

“I think that’s the most I’ve heard Yuna-chan speak.” Obito said with a laugh before peaking over Rin’s shoulder and watching Rin heal Yuna’s hands. 

“You should have really let your team rest before coming to the training grounds, Minato.” Kushina asked as she watched the two girls interact with a soft gaze. 

“They are the ones that insisted.” 

“Oh? And why is that?” 

“There’s a festival today.” Kakashi said with a slight frown. “And because we were able to complete our mission early…Rin and Obito…” 

“Don’t act like you don’t wanna go Kakashi!” 

“A festival?” The soft voice grabbed their attention before a fight started and then Rin who had her hands around the girl’s, gave it a squeeze.  


“Yeah! A festival to celebrate Toji!” 

“Is it already that time?” The soft expression on the girl’s face was new to everyone around them. 

“Is…Toji..special to you?” Kushina asked gently before squatting down to move a piece of Yuna’s black hair from her face. 

“Ahh…” Realizing she was speaking out loud, Yuki blushed and lowered her head, her hands fidgeting in Rin’s grip. “The shortest day…the longest night…” 

“It’s your birthday isn’t it?” Kakashi finally said and when her blue eyes raised to meet his, his gaze softened slightly before running a hand through his hair. “It doesn’t take a genius to realize why she was reacting to it that way. It’s the day she was born.” 

“Oh? Is it!?” Kushina asked brightly before turning her head to look at her student. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” 

“Probably because as a shrine maiden you don’t get to celebrate one’s day of birth.” Minato sighed before he gave her a sad smile. “The fact that she didn’t…She didn’t remember it until someone mentioned the festival” 

“Well then..we’ll have to make up for all that lost time!” Rin said with a big grin before pulling Yuna up to her feet. “I have a kimono that you can wear because I outgrew it but it should fit you just right! We are going to the festival to celebrate your birthday, Yuna-chan!” The bright laughter as she linked arms with the dark haired girl. 

“…You really don’t have…”It felt strange, to have someone wanting to celebrate her birthday after being alone for so long. It felt strange to have people that cared about her own happiness. It felt strange…to feel welcomed…and like she belonged somewhere.

“No! It’ll be fun!” Obitio chimed and then put an arm around Kakashi. “And this will force Kakashi to come because it seems though he doesn’t mind spending all his time around you.” 

“It’s just cause she’s smarter and quite than you, you idiot.” 

“I’m not the idiot, you are!” 

“Boys.” Rin said with a huff before smiling at Yuna. “Let’s get ready and they can meet us in front of the festival in an hour? And we can have the best time!” 

“Yes! Let’s celebrate your birthday together, Yuna-chan!” Kushina said with a bigger smile. 

And as Yuki looked at the people around her, the warmth that they showed her in the short time she got to know them. The fact that they looked at her and still wanted to be around her. A small smile appeared on her lips before she nodded. “I would like that very much…To spend…Toji with you all.” 

“Not Toji.” Kakashi huffed as he pulled Obito off of him and approached her with the same gentle gaze. She wondered if he knew how nice he looked when his onyx eyes softened that way. “Your birthday. We are going to celebrate that. Okay?” 

“Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for waiting so patiently as it took me a while just to update this. I had this done like a month ago..I just didn't like the flow of it and needed time to rework it. The next chapter is going to be so cute with them going to the festival and some more relationship developments for this slow burning fic. Both with Kakashi and Yuki and of course Yuki and the rest of Team Minato. 
> 
> Also a side comment, Yuki fights/moves like an ice skater. Like she glides across a field, and if she was using her ice abilities, she would legit like move like she was on ice. I don't know I felt the gracefulness and speed of ice skating really suited her fighting style...even when she's unable to use her ice abilities. 
> 
> Toji- Winter Solistice, Dec 20th. Aka Yuki's birthday! 
> 
> I'm super grateful for all the wonderful and sweet comments and everyone that likes Yuki and just this fic in general. It really really means a lot! 
> 
> You can find me on twitter @ bledstars.


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